Raj Thackeray joins Opposition in raising doubts over EVMs | Mumbai news

Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, who campaigned for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during last year’s Lok Sabha elections, on Thursday joined the opposition in raising doubts over the Maharashtra assembly poll results and electronic voting machines (EVMs), claiming that even the ruling Mahayuti alliance leaders were shocked with some of the outcomes.

Addressing party leaders and workers at the National Sports Club of India, Thackeray also responded to allegations that he keeps switching sides, saying the BJP had inducted leaders into the state cabinet who it once had accused of corruption.

This was the first time Thackeray was speaking publicly about the Maharashtra assembly election results, in which the MNS failed to open its account. The 56-year-old said he had remained silent until now as he was analysing the results.

“On the day of the results, there was an unusual silence across Maharashtra. The kind of celebrations that should have happened did not take place. I met a person from the RSS who asked me, ‘Itna sannata kyu hai bhai? (Why is there so much silence?) So what did that silence indicate?” he said.

Thackeray questioned how the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) outperformed party founder Sharad Pawar’s faction by such a large margin. “The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) won eight seats in the parliamentary polls, but managed to win only 10 assembly seats. On the other hand, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP had won only one Lok Sabha seat, but bagged 42 assembly seats. How is that possible?”

He then took the example of a leader from his own party. “MNS had fielded sitting MLA Raju Patil from Kalyan Rural constituency. There are around 1,400 voters in Patil’s village. He has always received votes from there. But this time, he did not get even a single vote. How is that possible?” he said.

Speaking about allegations against him that he frequently changes his political stand, Thackeray pointed fingers at other parties. “Look at how others have changed sides for their own benefit. The current [state] cabinet mostly comprises leaders who were earlier with Shiv Sena and Congress. They will not be questioned, but you will keep hearing that Raj Thackeray changes his stance.”

Thackeray then trained his guns on the BJP, stating that the party once accused many leaders of corruption, but later joined hands with them and made them ministers. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that those involved in a ₹70,000 crore scam would be put behind bars. But where did they put them? In the cabinet,” he said. Thackeray was referring to the alleged irrigation scam in Maharashtra. The BJP had targeted Ajit Pawar, then part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, for his alleged involvement in the scam. However, when Pawar orchestrated a split in the NCP and joined the Mahayuti government with 39 other MLAs later that year, he was made deputy chief minister.

He also pointed out other similar cases where leaders accused of corruption were given power by the BJP, including Himanta Biswa Sharma, Mukul Roy, Ashok Chavan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Narayan Rane, Ganesh Naik, Padamsinh Patil, and B S Yediyurappa.

Thackeray also hinted at making internal changes in the MNS, saying a new code of conduct would be introduced for the party to instil discipline. He said he would change the party structure and name new posts by February. Thackeray also said that the party’s humiliating defeat in the Maharashtra elections did not affect him, saying he would implement his plans for Marathi people and Hindus some day.

Responding to Thackeray’s comments, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said this was his attempt to create a false narrative, which people would not fall for. He also accused the MNS chief of presenting incorrect information and rejected his claims about political negotiations.

“I want to make it clear that the BJP never indulged in politics of negotiation or adjustment. The party keeps a nation-first policy and it has not engaged in compromises and always prioritised the country’s interests,” Shelar said.

NCP’s chief spokesperson Anand Paranjpe said, “Raj Thackeray is a prominent leader in Maharashtra, but people have seen his shifting stance. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he campaigned in favour of the Congress-NCP [alliance] and against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he extended support solely to ensure Modi’s re-election as prime minister.”

Paranjpe added that the MNS was confused regarding its role in the Mahayuti. “NCP may not have had the desired success in the Lok Sabha elections, but the party, under Ajit Pawar’s leadership, once again reached out to the public, understood their issues, and worked to resolve them. On the other hand, MNS has been seen changing its stance every passing season,” he said.

With inputs from agencies.