Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut alleged Friday that the BJP-led Mahayuti has been contacting Independent candidates and offering them bribes in the recently held Maharashtra Assembly elections. After Raut made the remarks, the BJP hit back, saying it didn’t want to snatch his right to dream.
While speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut said, “Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and their leaders are not confident of winning the Assembly elections and, therefore, they are now offering bribes to Independents who they think are likely to win… This desperation in the Mahayuti clearly shows that we are winning”.
Raut said leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) met Thursday and did an analysis seat-by-seat. “We reached a conclusion that the MVA will win at least 160 seats if not more. This also includes the smaller parties which are part of our grand alliance,” he said.
Dismissing the predictions made by exit polls, Raut said, “We don’t trust the exit polls. Several exit polls had given the BJP-led alliance more than 400 seats during the Lok Sabha elections but the numbers in reality were far less. Similarly, in Haryana, the exit polls gave Congress the victory. The result was quite different… The exit polls are all manufactured”.
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) said the decision regarding the chief ministerial post will be taken jointly by the leaders of the three key parties in the MVA. He also said they have contacted possible winners from the alliance and Independents. “We have told them to come to Mumbai,” he said.
Raut said the Election Commission of India should explain the sudden rise in the voting percentage in Maharashtra “by 2-3 per cent”. “How it helps BJP increase its seat tally. We are expecting clarification from EC.”
Reacting to Raut’s allegations and claims, Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhaye said Raut was “day-dreaming. “We don’t want to snatch his right of indulging in Mungeri Lal Ke Haseen Sapne. Let him keep dreaming for the next 24 hours. Tomorrow, at this time, it will be clear that the Mahayuti is forming the government. We will win more than 150 seats. The actual figure could be much more than,” claimed Upadhaye.
The votes of the Maharashtra Assembly elections held on November 20 will be counted on Saturday.
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