Something is fishy, there's a big conspiracy: Raut on poll trends suggesting Mahayuti's win

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday alleged that there was a "big conspiracy" and something was "fishy" in the Maharashtra assembly poll results with trends suggesting a landslide victory for the Mahayuti combine.

Talking to reporters, he said the poll results do not reflect people's mandate as the situation was very different on the ground and there was palpable anger against the government.

"I see a big conspiracy in this...This is not a mandate of Marathi 'manoos' and farmers," he said.

"We do not accept this as people's mandate. Something is fishy in the election results," Raut added.

There was no doubt that money was used in the polls, he alleged.

"How can all MLAs of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde win? How can Ajit Pawar, whose betrayal angered Maharashtra, win?" the Rajya Sabha MP asked.

The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance appeared set to retain power in the state, and was leading in 204 of the 288 assembly seats, as per the latest figures by the Election Commission.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was stumbling, with its candidates leading in just 47 seats, as per the early trends.

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.