Shiv Sena UBT accuses BJP of manipulating Maharashtra elections

Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday refused to accept the public mandate as the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi stumbled, with its candidates leading in just 47 seats, as per the early trends. 

He accused BJP of manipulating the elections while speaking to reporters.

“This is not the public mandate. This election was fought by BJP with the help of Adani,” Raut said.

The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance appeared set to retain power in Maharashtra, and was leading in 217 of the 288 assembly seats, as per the latest figures by the Election Commission.

As per ECI figures, in the Mahayuti, BJP candidates were leading in 122 seats, Shiv Sena in 58 and NCP in 37 seats.

In the MVA, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidates were leading in 10 seats, Congress in 20 and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) in 19 seats.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were leading in their respective assembly constituencies in the first round of the counting of votes.

As per the figures provided by the Election Commission, Shinde was leading by 4,053 votes over his nearest rival from Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly seat at the end of first round of counting.

Fadnavis was leading by 2,246 votes from Nagpur South-West and Pawar by 3,759 votes in Baramati seat, where he is locked in a tussle with his nephew Yugendra Pawar.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole was leading by 344 votes from Sakoli constituency at the end of first round.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and sitting MLA Aaditya Thackeray was leading in Worli assembly seat in Mumbai by 495 votes, the poll officials said.

Congress Legislature Party leader and former minister Balasaheb Thorat was trailing in Sangamner assembly seat by 1,831 votes.

Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan was also trailing by 1,590 votes in Karad South assembly seat at the end of the first round of counting.

The counting of votes in the Maharashtra assembly elections began at 8 am Saturday, with all eyes on the outcome of the battle between the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti coalition and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.

The final turnout in the polls, held on November 20, was 66.05 per cent, up from 61.1 per cent in 2019.

In the ruling Mahayuti alliance, the BJP contested 149 assembly seats, Shiv Sena 81 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP fielded candidates in 59 constituencies.

In the MVA combine, the Congress fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (SP) put up 86 candidates.