Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 24 : Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday alleged that the BJP-led Maharashtra government came to power through "vote theft" and claimed the issue is now being raised at the "national and international level."
Speaking to reporters, Raut said, "...The issue of vote theft has been in Maharashtra for 8 months; we have been raising questions on this. This issue was raised by Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and Congress. Devendra Fadnavis' government came to power only through such vote theft. Where did our votes go? This question was asked by Raj Thackeray, and we also asked it. Now this issue of theft has been raised by Rahul Gandhi at the national level and is being taken to the international level..."
Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi renewed his attack on the Election Commission and the BJP, describing the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll in Bihar as an "institutionalised way" of stealing votes.
Addressing a press conference in Araria in Bihar during the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', the Congress leader alleged a partnership between the ECI and the BJP.
"In Bihar, SIR is an institutionalised way for vote theft. Lakhs of voters' names were deleted; the Opposition is complaining, but the BJP has not complained even once because there is a partnership between the Election Commission, the Election Commissioner and the BJP," Rahul Gandhi claimed.
He said that the Opposition will not allow the BJP and the Election Commission to steal elections in Bihar. "Yatra is successful, and people are joining organically. It is clear that crores of people in Bihar believe in our claim of vote theft, which is why you can see this response. Election Commission's work is to give the correct voter list, which they did not do in Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka," the Congress leader said.
"Our pressure is to change the Election Commission's behaviour. We will not allow this to happen in Bihar. You stole elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, and in Karnataka, we showed that there was a vote theft," he added.