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Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Digvijaya Singh, has raised serious concerns over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s victory in the recent Maharashtra assembly elections. Singh alleged that the BJP secured its win by manipulating targeted polling booths using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The Congress leader's comments come amid the BJP's sweeping victory in the polls, which saw the party and its allies claim 230 out of the total 288 seats.
Singh, who has long been a vocal critic of the BJP, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his grievances. In his post, he claimed, "The results of the Maharashtra elections unfolded exactly as the BJP wanted. They fielded 148 candidates and secured victories in 132 of these, with a success strike rate of 89 percent." He further suggested that the BJP could form a government even without the support of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), adding that the victory was the result of manipulation through EVMs.
Singh also questioned the performance of the BJP in the Jharkhand elections, where they were defeated by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance. "People will ask how did they lose Jharkhand? Just think, isn't Maharashtra more important than Jharkhand for Narendra Modi and Amit Shah?" Singh remarked, pointing out the stark contrast between the BJP's performance in the two states.
The Congress leader went on to demand an immediate discussion between the opposition alliance, INDIA, and the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the conduct of elections and the use of EVMs. Singh expressed concerns that the integrity of the electoral process might have been compromised, especially considering the BJP's high strike rate in Maharashtra.
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The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance triumphed in Maharashtra, with the BJP winning 132 out of the 148 seats it contested. Its allies, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and NCP, secured 57 and 41 seats respectively. The alliance's victory marked a significant setback for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning only 20 seats, Congress securing 16, and NCP (SCP) led by Sharad Pawar managing just 10 seats.
The election results, declared on November 23, saw the BJP-led Mahayuti forming a dominant government, while the MVA, once considered a strong contender, faced a major defeat.
In contrast, the Jharkhand assembly elections, held in two phases on November 13 and 20, saw the JMM-led alliance retaining power, with Congress securing 16 seats and the BJP winning just 21 seats.
As per ANI, Digvijaya Singh's allegations have sparked debate over the transparency of the electoral process, particularly the role of EVMs in influencing election outcomes. With the opposition rallying around the issue, the calls for a thorough investigation into the matter are expected to intensify.
The Maharashtra assembly elections were held on November 20, with results declared three days later, while the Jharkhand polls saw the JMM-led alliance emerge victorious despite the BJP's efforts.
(With inputs from ANI)
