'Guaranteed win through EVMs': Sanjay Raut echoes Sharad Pawar's '160 seats' claim; says same people approached Uddhav Thackeray twice
NEW DELHI: Echoing
Sharad Pawar
's '160 seats' claim, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP
Sanjay Raut
on Sunday alleged the same two unnamed individuals the NCP (SP) supremo mentioned, had also approached
Uddhav Thackeray
twice — first during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and later ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections.
Also Read: Sharad Pawar drops bombshell, claims 2 people offered 'guaranteed victory' in 160 Maharashtra assembly seats
"Sharad Pawar said some people met him before the (Maharashtra) polls. The same set of people also met (Sena (UBT) chief) Uddhav Thackeray during the Lok Sabha (polls). We told them we believe in democracy and will win the Lok Sabha elections for sure, looking at the atmosphere in the country," Raut told the media, according to news agency PTI.
"When they approached us again, we told them that as the opposition secured an overwhelming success (in Lok Sabha elections), we will come to power in Vidhan Sabha (assembly elections) too.
They asked us to assign 60-65 difficult seats and promised victory through EVMs. However, Thackeray refused, saying we don't feel the need to do it."
He further recalled being "warned" by the persons that "those in power" (BJP-led Mahayuti) had prepared a "plan" through EVMs and electoral rolls to win.
The BJP won 132 seats in the assembly elections with allies Shiv Sena and NCP adding 57 and 41 constituencies, respectively, to the Mahayuti tally.
On the other hand, the MVA won only 46 seats (Shiv Sena (UBT) 20, Congress 16, and NCP (SP) 10).
Pawar on Saturday caused a flutter in political circles with his remarks. The senior politician stated he introduced the two individuals to the Lok Sabha leader of the opposition and Congress MP, Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi on Thursday made explosive allegation of a "huge criminal fraud" in polls through "collusion" between the BJP and the Election Commission, citing an analysis in a constituency in Congress-ruled Karnataka, calling it "a crime against the Constitution".
The following day, he alleged the Election Commission and the BJP "colluded to steal" the Lok Sabha elections from the people, and there was "vote theft" in at least three states.
Maharashtra chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has questioned the timing of Pawar's statement, which he dismissed as a "Salim-Javed script."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Ahmed Patel's son hails PM for Op Sindoor, says nation 'in safe hands'
Faisal Patel NEW DELHI: In remarks likely to raise eyebrows in the Congress, Faisal Patel -- son of the late party stalwart Ahmed Patel - has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership during Operation Sindoor , the cross-border strike on terror camps in Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. "It can't be better than who's running the show... The armed forces have done a great job, and PM Narendra Modi showed great leadership and brought us out of a huge crisis. I am proud of our armed forces. I have a lot of respect for Jaishankarji. How Modiji picks up bureaucrats, makes them leaders and puts them in ministry roles is a very good thing," Patel told ANI. In an interview to CNN-News18, he called Modi and home minister Amit Shah "great leaders" and declared the country was "in safe hands" - a remark loaded with political irony given Ahmed Patel's long rivalry with Modi during UPA years, when he was Sonia Gandhi's most trusted strategist. Though insisting he remains a Congress member, Patel pointed to internal drift in the party.
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
A leading legal luminary from Karnataka, BV Acharya no stranger to knotty legal cases
BV Acharya, who is part of a three-member committee announced by the Lok Sabha speaker Tuesday to inquire into the "grounds for the request for removal" of Allahabad HC judge Justice Yashwant Varma in the alleged cash-at-home scandal, is no stranger to high-profile legal cases. A leading legal luminary from Karnataka, Acharya, 91, has been practising law for nearly seven decades. The five-time Karnataka advocate-general has represented the state before the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, guided implementation of Common Entrance Test policy for professional course selections, and was a special public prosecutor in the illegal wealth case allegedly involving J Jayalalithaa, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Born on Dec 20, 1933, in Belpu village of Udupi taluk, Acharya completed schooling in Udupi and Mangalore before shifting to Madras University for BA and law degrees. He has practised all branches of law across the country from tahsildar court to Supreme Court. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Gold Rates Today in Bengaluru | Silver Rates Today in Bengaluru Enrolled as an advocate before the high court of Mysore in 1957, Acharya completed apprenticeship under B Gangadhar Das, a leading advocate in Mangalore. He served as additional public prosecutor in Mangalore for four years and as district government pleader, Dakshina Kannada, for five years. In 1972, Acharya shifted to Karnataka high court in Bangalore, specialising in civil, criminal and constitutional matters. From 1973 to 1981, he was a member of Karnataka State Bar Council and elected chairman in 1979, serving until 1982. As chairman, he worked towards the establishment of National Law School of India University in Bangalore. In May 1989, Karnataka high court made Acharya as a senior advocate. In December 1989, he was appointed advocate general of Karnataka, a post he was to hold four more times. The veteran has appeared as a special public prosecutor before various commissions of inquiry such as the Justice Desai Commission on the Bangalore Gangaram building collapse, Veerappa Moily tape episode, and Justice Shiv Shankar Bhat's Commission regarding the Bangalore air crash. His two children — Pushpalatha and BL Acharya — are practising law, while another son, Subramanya Acharya, works in a broadcasting organisation. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
United News of India
29 minutes ago
- United News of India
Lok Sabha passes Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill by voice vote
New Delhi, Aug 12 (UNI) The Lok Sabha today passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025 by voice vote. The Bill aims to ensure the benefits of the mining sector reach the common people, introduce transparency in the allocation of mines and promote development in the sector. While presenting the bill in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, said the proposed amendments aim to boost employment opportunities and ensure that tribals and those linked to the mining sector directly benefit from the reforms. He pointed out that prior to the Modi government, mine allocations were done with minimal oversight, allowing mafia groups to dominate the sector. This led to the Supreme Court cancelling 104 mine allocations due to corruption. He emphasised that the scenario has now significantly improved. Reddy also mentioned that the mining sector was once controlled by politically influential individuals and marred by exploitation. In contrast, he said, the current environment fosters development, with common citizens now seeing real benefits. Taking a dig at the Opposition members who were protesting the bill, he said that their opposition stems from a lack of faith in the people. Earlier, during the debate, BJP MP Malavika Devi highlighted that mine allocations were previously handled in an unethical manner, but reforms have changed that. She said the bill would help uplift the poor and improve the nation's global standing by ensuring transparency in mining. BJP's Brijmohan Agrawal called the legislation a key step towards the development of tribal regions, stating that it would benefit marginalized communities. CM Gurumoorthy Maddila of the YSR Congress and G Lakshminarayan from the Telugu Desam Party also took part in the discussion. UNI RBE SSP Various schemes to financially support divyang's healthcare: Govt 12 Aug 2025 | 8:28 PM New Delhi, Aug 12 (UNI) The Government today told Parliament that a slew of schemes aimed at improving healthcare access and financial support for persons with disabilities (PwD) has been launched for the welfare of the sector in the past few years. see more.. Parliament adjourns till Aug 18 amid Opposition ruckus over Bihar's SIR 12 Aug 2025 | 8:21 PM New Delhi, Aug 12 (UNI) Both Houses of Parlaiment --Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - adjourned today till August 18 after wrapping up key legislative business amid vocal protests by the Opposition over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. see more.. Over 1 75 cr diagnoised with diabetes & hypertension in last 6 months: Govt 12 Aug 2025 | 6:51 PM New Delhi, Aug 12 (UNI) Over 1.11 crore and 64 lakhs people respectively have been diagnosed for hypertension and diabetes under the central health programme in the last six months till June this year, the government told Rajya Sabha today. see more.. LS Speaker forms 3-member panel to probe charges against Justice Yashwant Varma 12 Aug 2025 | 4:41 PM New Delhi, Aug 12 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla today constituted a three-member committee to probe the charges against Allahabad High Court Judge Yashwant Varma. This follows the alleged discovery of burnt cash at his official Delhi residence after a fire in March 2025, when he was a Delhi High Court Judge The committee would comprise Justice Arvind Kumar of the Supreme Court, Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, and Senior Advocate at the Karnataka High Court BV Acharya. see more..
