Thackrey was offered 60-65 seat victory in MH polls: Shiv Sena UBT MP

Mumbai: Echoing NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed two persons had also met Uddhav Thackeray ahead of Maharashtra assembly polls in 2024 and promised to ensure victory “through EVMs” in 60-65 tricky seats.

Raut claimed the same set of people had met Thackeray during the Lok Sabha polls also. However, the Sena (UBT) chief declined to entertain them by asserting his faith in the electoral process and democracy, he said, pointing out Maha Vikas Aghadi’s victory in 30 of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.

Pawar on Saturday claimed two individuals had met him before the 2024 assembly polls and “guaranteed” the Opposition’s victory in 160 of the 288 seats.

“Sharad Pawar said some people met him before the polls. The same set of people also met Uddhav Thackeray during the Lok Sabha (polls). We told them we believe in democracy and will win the Lok Sabha polls for sure, looking at the atmosphere in the country,” Raut claimed while addressing the media.

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He claimed the same persons approached Thackeray before the assembly polls held months later.

“We told them that the Opposition secured an overwhelming success (in Lok Sabha elections) and we will come to power in Vidhan Sabha (elections). They told us to assign them 60-65 difficult seats and promised victory through EVMs. However, Thackeray said we don’t feel the need to do it,” Raut added.

They made it plain to us that even if we don’t need their help, those in power have prepared a plan through EVMs and electoral rolls, Raut said.

“(They told us that) they can foresee our potential failure (in elections) and can help us. We still trusted the Election Commission and democracy. Unfortunately, those who met Uddhav and Sharad may have had an element of truth in their claim,” Raut added.

Pawar on Saturday caused a flutter in political circles with his claims. He stated that he introduced the two persons who had approached him to the leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi.

“I introduced them to Rahul Gandhi. He ignored what was told to him. He was also of the view that we (Opposition) shouldn’t get involved in such things and go to the people directly,” he said.

Pawar made these claims amid a huge row over Rahul Gandhi’s “vote theft” charge against the BJP and the Election Commission.

The BJP won 132 seats in the assembly elections with allies Shiv Sena and NCP adding 57 and 41 constituencies, respectively, to the saffron tally.

Gandhi on Thursday made explosive claims of a “huge criminal fraud” in polls through collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission, citing an analysis in a constituency in Karnataka, and saying it was “a crime against the Constitution”.

A day after, he alleged that the Election Commission and the BJP colluded to “steal” the Lok Sabha election from the people, and that there was “vote theft” in at least three states.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday questioned the timing of Pawar’s claims, dismissing them as a Salim-Javed script.

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