'How is it 'gadbad' in Maharashtra but not Jharkhand?': BJP
What's the story
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is ahead in over 220 seats of the Maharashtra assembly elections, recent trends show. The BJP fielded candidates in 148 seats—the largest share in the coalition—followed by Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena (80) and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (52). Meanwhile, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—a coalition of Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena faction and Sharad Pawar's NCP faction—is leading in just 55 seats.
Allegations
Shiv Sena leader accuses ruling coalition of election manipulation
Sanjay Raut, a senior leader of Thackeray's Shiv Sena faction, has accused the ruling coalition of manipulating the elections. He alleged that some seats were "stolen" and questioned the legitimacy of the results. "They have done some 'gadbad;' they have stolen some of our seats... This cannot be the public's decision," Raut said, expressing disbelief at the distribution of seats among Shinde, Ajit Pawar, and BJP.
Rebuttal
BJP leaders dismiss election manipulation allegations
BJP leaders have rubbished Raut's election manipulation allegations. Pravin Darekar stressed that the results are a reflection of public trust and said Maharashtra would prosper under a BJP-led government in sync with the Centre. Shehzad Poonawalla asked why similar allegations weren't made in Jharkhand, where trends indicate the INDIA bloc is leading. The INDIA bloc—Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal—leads in 51 out of 81 seats, while NDA trails with leads in 29.
Voter turnout
Maharashtra and Jharkhand record high voter turnouts
The Maharashtra elections also saw a voter turnout of 66.05%, up from previous years. The Election Commission had emphasized heavily on a smooth electoral process in the state. Meanwhile, Jharkhand recorded its highest voter turnout since its formation at 67.74%. Exit polls had largely predicted a BJP-led alliance victory in both states, though some hinted at close contests.