New Delhi:

Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on NCP’s factional feud over the ‘clock’ symbol, the Sharad Pawar camp has alleged that Ajit Pawar, who leads the breakaway party, “tried to create confusion” in voters’ minds and “unduly tried to benefit from goodwill” associated with the symbol. In its affidavit, the veteran politician’s camp has sought the top court’s permission to submit six documents to prove the allegation.

The Supreme Court will be hearing the matter today. The backdrop to the hearing is the BJP-led Mahayuti’s mammoth mandate in the Maharashtra Assembly polls. Bouncing back from its Lok Sabha election setback, Ajit Pawar’s NCP won 41 Assembly seats and the Sharad Pawar faction managed just 10. In the general election in June, the veteran’s camp had trumped the Ajit Pawar faction 8-1.

A rebellion led by Ajit Pawar last year split the NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar with PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar in 1999. Ajit Pawar then joined the Eknath Shinde-led BJP-Shiv Sena government with the MLAs supporting him.

The Election Commission subsequently ruled that Ajit Pawar’s camp was the ‘real’ NCP and allotted it the party’s name and ‘clock’ symbol. The Sharad Pawar camp challenged this in Supreme Court. The court then allowed the Sharad Pawar camp to use ‘Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar) as its name and a man blowing a trumpet as its symbol for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

The court allowed the Ajit Pawar faction to keep using ‘NCP’ party name and the ‘clock’ symbol for the polls. This was contested by the Sharad Pawar camp, who accused the Ajit Pawar faction of violating court’s orders by using the NCP name and symbol without any clarification that the matter is sub-judice. The court had then pulled up the Ajit Pawar camp and asked it to issue disclaimers in this connection.

New Delhi:

Two days after Ajit Pawar’s NCP trumped the party faction led by his uncle Sharad Pawar in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the junior Pawar questioned the rival camp’s decision to field his nephew Yugendra against him in the family bastion of Baramati. Ajit Pawar also reiterated that his decision to field wife Sunetra against his sister Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha election was a “mistake”.

The Sharad Pawar camp had fielded Yugendra Pawar, son of Ajit Pawar’s elder brother Shrinivas Anantrao Pawar, in the Baramati Assembly segment. The seat was represented by Sharad Pawar for over two decades, followed by Ajit Pawar for over three. In this contest, 33-year-old Yugendra Pawar was backed by the senior Pawar and four-time Baramati MP Supriya Sule. But the youngster lost out against his formidable uncle by a margin of over 1 lakh votes.

Addressing the media, Ajit Pawar said, “Yugendra is a business person, he had no connection with politics. There was no reason to field my own nephew against me in the elections.”

Interestingly, Ajit Pawar had fielded his wife Sunetra against his cousin and Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule in the general election earlier this year. Ms Sule won the contest by a 1.5 lakh votes margin. Ajit Pawar later admitted that it was a “mistake”.

Reiterating the same today, he said, “I made a mistake in the Lok Sabha elections, but if you have to send a message, will you put a person from your own family against me?”

Sharad Pawar earlier defended the decision to field Yugendra Pawar, saying someone had to contest the polls. He had also said there was no comparison between Ajit Pawar and Yugendra Pawar. 

Ajit Pawar also joked with his other nephew, Rohit Pawar, when he met him today. Rohit Pawar won the Karjat Jamkhed seat with a slim margin. Ajit Pawar today told him jokingly, “You were saved by a thing margin…think what would happen if I had addressed a public meeting (rally) there…best of luck.”

A 2023 rebellion led by Ajit Pawar against his uncle split the NCP founded by Sharad Pawar. Since then, the senior Pawar has been fighting to win his party’s name and symbol back. In the Lok Sabha election, the veteran had trumped his nephew, with his faction winning 8 seats compared to Ajit Pawar’s score of 1. This time, the tables turned as NCP (Sharad Pawar) scored 10, but Ajit Pawar’s party won 41.

Mumbai:

Following a defeat in his electoral debut, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit has said he accepts the mandate. The 32-year-old said he did not contest this election as a “prince”, but as a common activist fighting for Maharashtra and its people.

Amit Thackeray contested the election from Mumbai’s Mahim seat and finished a distant third. His uncle Uddhav Thackeray’s party, Shiv Sena (UBT) won the seat with Mahesh Baliram Sawant clinching a slim victory with a margin of 1,316 votes.

“I humbly and respectfully accept the call given by my people in the assembly elections today. For the past several years, I have seen people struggle for basic needs in this ward. We should write a new chapter for development and change in the ward. With this intention, I entered this election,” Amit Thackeray said in a post in Marathi on X.

The young leader this defeat has taught him that he has to work hard to gain the faith of the people.

“This battle of mine was never to gain political power… Because this battle was not of any prince, it was of an ordinary activist who fights for all, for our people, for our Maharashtra’s bright future. I just wanted to put a smile of satisfaction on your face,” he has said.

Amit Thackeray said this was not the end of his journey but the beginning. “Thanks to all the voters who showed their faith and voted for me. Your faith will not go wasted. I promise – I will always strive to fulfill your dreams, to come true to your beliefs. Because my battle is so long and we will win it together,” he said.

The MNS, once a formidable force in Maharashtra politics, has seen its influence diminish over the past two state polls. After winning 13 seats in the 2009 polls, the party slumped to 1 win in the 2014 and the 2019 elections. This time, it failed to open its account despite contesting 125 seats and cornered just 1.5 per cent voteshare.

Mumbai:

The Maharashtra government will order a probe and truth will come out, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said today when asked about allegations of bitcoin fraud against his cousin and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. “An inquiry will be done and the truth will come in front of the people,” Mr Pawar, who is contesting the Assembly polls from Baramati, said this morning.

“Whatever audio clip is being shown, I just know that I have worked with both of them. One of them is my sister and the other is someone with whom I have worked a lot. The audio clip has their voices, I can figure out from their tone. An inquiry will be done and everything will be clear,” he added.

The remarks play out against the rivalry between the two camps of NCP — one led by veteran politician and party founder Sharad Pawar and Ms Sule and the other by Ajit Pawar. An Ajit Pawar-led mutiny split the NCP in 2023, following which the junior Pawar joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in the state. This election is also a fight between two factions of NCP to prove who has the people’s support.

What Are The Allegations

Ravindranath Patil, a retired IPS officer, has accused Ms Sule and Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole of being involved in a fraud involving cryptocurrency dating back to 2018. These funds, he has alleged, have been used in the assembly election campaign.

The BJP latched on to the retired officer’s remark and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi accused Ms Sule and Mr Patole of using illegal bitcoin transactions to influence election results.

“An accused dealer contacts a former police officer, who has been jailed previously, and tells him that he (the dealer) wants to conduct bitcoin transactions in cash. The officer declines the request. However, the dealer tries to convince him, claiming that a few ‘big people’ are involved, allegedly naming Nana Patole and Supriya Sule. When the officer expresses doubt, the dealer sends him the audio clips,” Mr Trivedi said in a press meet yesterday.

“According to the dealer’s claims, the audio clips mention the need for money for elections. We now have five questions for the Congress Party: first, are you involved in bitcoin transactions? second, are you in contact with individuals named Gaurav Gupta or Mehta? third, are the chats in question those of your leaders? fourth, is the audio in the clips authentic? fifth, who are the ‘big people’ referred to?” Mr Pawar added.

What Has Supriya Sule Said

Ms Sule has trashed the allegations and challenged the BJP to a debate on the issue. “I deny all the allegations levelled against me by Sudhanshu Trivedi. All this is conjecture and innuendo, and I am ready for a debate with any representative of the BJP at a time and date of their choice, in a public forum,” she posted on X.

She has said it is appalling that Mr Trivedi made “such baseless” allegations. “…yet not surprising as it’s a clear case of spreading false information, the night before elections. My lawyer will be issuing a criminal and civil defamation notice against Sudhanshu Trivedi for making outrightly false allegations with an intent to deceive the public at large,” Ms Sule has said. This morning, the NCP (SP) leader said she has sent a criminal defamation to Mr Trivedi. “He has asked me five questions. I am ready to respond wherever he wants, whenever he wants. These are all lies.”

Asked about Ajit Pawar’s charge that the voice on a viral audio clip is hers, Ms Sule replied with a smile, “He is Ajit Pawar, he can say anything. Rama Krishna Hari.”

The five-time MP has also filed a complaint with the Election Commission and the Cyber Cell in Pune.

Ms Sule’s father and NCP founder Sharad Pawar said, “…The person who made the allegations was in jail for several months. Taking that person along and making false allegations, only BJP can do this.”

Mr Patole, too, trashed the allegations and alleged a political conspiracy by the BJP. “We will file a complaint,” he said. 

Mumbai:

A day after the political row over a routine check of Shiv Sena (BT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s luggage, the BJP today posted a video of airport security frisking Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ bags and took a swipe at Mr Thackeray.

Without naming Mr Thackeray, the ruling party said “some leaders have a habit of showing off” and added that Mr Fadnavis did not raise a storm over the luggage check.

The Maharashtra BJP said in a post on X that Mr Fadnavis’ bags were checked at Yavatmal on November 7 and at Kolhapur on November 5, but he didn’t make an issue out of it. In a dig at the Opposition bloc’s ‘save Constitution’ slogan, the BJP said it is not enough to flaunt the Constitution and it must be followed in action.

जाऊ द्या, काही नेत्यांना तमाशा करण्याची सवयच असते!
हा व्हीडिओ पहा, 7 नोव्हेंबरला यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यात आमचे नेते मा. देवेंद्रजी फडणवीस यांच्या बॅगची तपासणी झाली. पण, त्यांनी ना कोणता व्हीडिओ काढला, ना कोणती आगपाखड केली. तत्पूर्वी, 5 नोव्हेंबर रोजी कोल्हापूर विमानतळावर सुद्धा मा.… pic.twitter.com/ebkuigJE2E

— भाजपा महाराष्ट्र (@BJP4Maharashtra) November 13, 2024

A video circulated on social media yesterday showed an officer being grilled by Mr Thackeray during a bag check in Yavatmal. “I won’t stop you… you are following your responsibility. I am following mine. Search… search whatever you want to search. But did you search bags of Devendra Fadnavis, Narendra Modi, or Amit Shah?” Mr Thackeray is heard saying.

When the officer said the BJP leaders had not campaigned in the region yet, Mr Thackeray asked him to ensure he checked their bags whenever they visit the region and send him a video.

Mr Thackeray’s close aide and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said they don’t have problem with searches if they are done “impartially”. “But, where Eknath Shinde and (Deputy Chief Ministers) Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis are contesting, Rs 25 crores have already reached…,” he alleged.

In a swift counterattack, Shinde Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde told NDTV that Mr Raut had a “habit of making wild allegations” and pointed out that Mr Shinde’s bags were checked in Nashik when he was campaigning ahead of the general election. “Shindeji did not make a fuss… didn’t create an uproar like the Uddhav Thackeray camp,” Mr Hegde said.

Maharashtra votes on November 20. While the ruling coalition of BJP-Shiv Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar) is pushing hard to bounce back from its Lok Sabha poll setback and retain power, the Opposition bloc of Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar) has gone all-out to clinch a victory.

Mumbai:

The BJP today doubled down against Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole’s purported ‘dog’ remarks targeting its leaders and described it as Congress’s frustration ahead of Assembly polls. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said the remarks prove that the Maha Vikas Aghadi opposition alliance has gone “from disappointment to dejection”

Speaking to ANI, Mr Somaiya said, “They are going from disappointment to dejection. Sharad Pawar is saying something; Uddhav Thackeray is verbally abusing Election Commission. Now, Rahul Gandhi’s Congress is calling the BJP a ‘kutta’ because opinion polls show a clear majority for Mahayuti. So, I can understand their disappointment.”

The Congress leader said during a poll campaign in Akola yesterday said, “I want to ask, will the OBC people of Akola district vote for the BJP who are calling you dogs? It is time to make the BJP a dog now; they have become so arrogant.”

The comments seeking to blame the BJP for disrespecting the OBC community are expected to intensify the ongoing political rivalry between the MVA and Mahayuti ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, “Nana Patole is frustrated because when he travels on ground, he can understand that the Congress is not going to form a government in Maharashtra. But in his frustration, he has said that he wants to tame the BJP as dogs… This shows the ‘Emergency’ mindset of the Congress party that it wants to tame its rivals and bring them under control; it wants to file cases against them and silence them. If they come to power in Maharashtra, they will file cases against whoever speaks against them.

“That is why we say that Congress wants to damage the Constitution. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution gives you freedom of speech. I condemn the word used by Nana Patole but it also shows their inferiority complex. Yesterday, Karnataka Congress leader Zameer Ahmed used the term ‘kaala’ for his rival. It is a racist term. Today, they are using the term ‘kutta’…I can understand the frustration of Nana Patole. When they are not forming their government, they get frustrated and say absurd things,” the BJP spokesperson added.

The opposition MVA coalition, comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (SP), aims to reclaim power in the state, challenging the Mahayuti alliance, which includes Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the BJP, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Mumbai:

The manifesto of the Maha Vikas Aghadi bloc of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) for the November 20 polls in Maharashtra aims to beat the Eknath Shinde government’s Ladki Bahin yojana for women and reach out to farmers and the youth.

The manifesto, which was launched today, laid down the agenda for the first 100 days if the Opposition bloc came to power. It promises an assistance of Rs 3,000 per month to women under the Mahalaxmi Yojana. This is more than the Rs 1,500 assistance to women under the Eknath Shinde government’s Ladki Bahin scheme, it is also more than the Rs 2,100 promised by the BJP in its poll manifesto, also released today.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi has promised to provide free bus travel to women, six cylinders at Rs 500 rupee rate, stronger laws to ensure women’s safety, free cervical cancer vaccine for girls in 9-16 years age group and two days of period leave every month.

To farmers, another key group as far as elections are concerned, the Maha Vikas Aghadi assured a high-level committee to stop farmer suicides and a better scheme for families of farmers who died by suicide. The bloc has promised to ensure farmers get the right price for their produce and said it will simply the crop insurance scheme.

Unemployed youth, the bloc said, will be given a monthly pension of Rs 4,000 and state scholarship schemes will be expanded.

The MVA manifesto also promised to expand the state’s health insurance policy. Under social justice, it promised a Caste Census in Maharashtra.

At the launch of the document, state Congress chief Nana Patole said it is not a manifesto but a vachan nama. “BJP and the alliance have betrayed the state for the last 10 years. They are talking about waiving farmers’ loans, why didn’t they do it when they were in power?” he asked.

Addressing the event, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the world looks at Mumbai and Maharashtra leads the country in social change. “This is a very important election, not just for turncoats, but one that will decide the future of the country. Only MVA can promise a stable government,” he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule was also present at the manifesto launch.

The turncoats jab was aimed at the Shiv Sena rebels whose mutiny split the party into two and brought down the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in 2022. Later, the Ajit Pawar camp’s rebellion split Sharad Pawar’s NCP too. In the 2019 election, the BJP and Shiv Sena were in an alliance. Now, the Sena has split and so has the NCP. So, in some ways, this is also an election where the rival factions will try to prove they are the ‘real’ party.

Listing the promises in MVA’s manifesto, the Congress chief took a swipe at the BJP. “When we were implementing it in Karnataka, they called it revdi, but are now promoting the same schemes.” On the caste Census, he said it was not aimed at dividing people, but to access data on their social position so that efforts can be made to improve it.

Two weeks before Maharashtra votes in Assembly polls, the Election Commission has ordered the transfer of Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla, according to sources. The Opposition, led by the Congress, had alleged that the senior IPS officer was biased towards the ruling Mahayuti alliance and that fair polls wouldn’t be possible if she was in the top post.

The poll body has asked Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik to hand over Ms Shukla’s charge to the next seniormost IPS officer with immediate effect and send a panel of three names by tomorrow for selection of the next state police chief.

During review meetings and announcement of Assembly polls, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had warned officials to be impartial and fair and ensure that they are perceived as non-partisan in conducting their duties.

Opposition parties, including the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), had accused Ms Shukla of bias.

“There is a very serious allegation against the state’s Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla. In 2019, when our government was being formed, this Director General of Police, who was directly working for the Bharatiya Janata Party, was tapping all our phones and giving full information to Devendra Fadnavis about what we were going to do,” Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, had told the media.

“Can we expect her to conduct fair elections? We have said that the reins of elections should not be given to her, and then the Election Commission said that they do not have the right (to transfer). How can this happen? At the same time, Jharkhand’s DGP was changed. Maharashtra’s election is being conducted based on police pressure,” he added.

State Congress chief Nana Patole had written to the Chief Election Commissioner, requesting Ms Shukla’s removal from the post of the state police chief.

Mr Patole had accused the senior woman police officer of displaying a “clear bias” against Opposition parties. “Over the past 20 days, political violence against opposition parties has significantly escalated, with a notable deterioration in the law and order situation. She has shown a clear bias against the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP(SP), as evidenced by her previous record of illegal phone tapping of opposition leaders while serving as Commissioner of Police, Pune, and Commissioner of the State Intelligence Department (SID),” his letter said.

Congress’s Vijay Wadettiwar Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, has welcomed the top cop’s transfer. “It became clear today that the coalition government was being dishonest. What was the compulsion of the alliance government to extend the term of police officer Rashmi Shukla who was facing serious charges? She was given an extension to ensure that the assembly elections in Maharashtra are not conducted in a transparent manner,” he said in a post on X.

An IPS officer of the 1988 batch, Ms Shukla is the first woman to become Maharashtra’s police chief. Earlier, she served as director general of Sashstra Seema Bal. 

Maharashtra’s 288 Assembly seats will vote on November 20. Counting of votes is on November 23.

Mumbai:

BJP spokesperson Shaina NC has joined the Shiv Sena after the Eknath Shinde-led party fielded her from Mumbadevi in the November 20 Assembly election. She will file her nomination today.

“I would like to thank our hon prime minister @narendramodi ji our dynamic chief minister @mieknathshinde ji and dy cm Dev_Fadnavis ji and @AjitPawarSpeaks. Our Mahayuti leadership has given me an opportunity to serve the people of Mumbadevi for the assembly elections,” she said in a post on X.

I would like to thank our hon prime minister @narendramodi ji our dynamic chief minister @mieknathshinde ji and dy cm @Dev_Fadnavis ji and @AjitPawarSpeaks . Our Mahayuti leadership has given me an opportunity to serve the people of Mumbadevi for the assembly elections.… pic.twitter.com/DAMDaG7Iqf

— Shaina Chudasama Munot (@ShainaNC) October 28, 2024

Hours after the Shinde-led Sena announced her as a candidate, she joined the party in the presence of the Maharashtra Chief Minister and other party leaders.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Shaina NC said, “I have been living in South Mumbai all my life and I realise the kind of challenges citizens here have to face, whether it is cluster development, local hygiene, or open spaces. I am committed to the people of Mumbai.”

“I don’t want to just be an MLA, I want to be their voice. I believe that it is the collective consciousness of the administration, the legislature, and the citizens, that needs to be showcased in terms of good public service. I assure the people that I have no PA, I answer all my calls, and I will always be accessible and accountable to my citizens and all my voters,” she added. 

The Mumbadevi constituency is part of the Mumbai Lok Sabha seat. The Congress’s Amin Patel has represented it in the Assembly since 2009.

Earlier, there were reports that BJP may field Shaina NC in Worli. But the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena announced former Congress leader Milind Deora as its Worli candidate. He will now take on Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackeray.

Mumbai:

‘Vote jihad’ and fake narratives will not work in the upcoming Maharashtra election and the Mahayuti alliance will return to power after the November 20 polls, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said today.

Mr Fadnavis, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, spoke at NDTV Marathi’s Jahirnama event which saw the biggest newsmakers in Maharashtra politics share their insights on the upcoming election.

“Vote jihad was the real (factor) in Lok Sabha election. People from a particular community voted against the BJP. The aim was to remove Modi. It will not work this time,” Mr Fadnavis said.

The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance won just 17 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi of Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar) put up a stellar show.

In a separate interaction with NDTV’s editor-in-chief Sanjay Pugalia, Mr Fadnavis said the Maharashtra voter does not give fragmented verdicts. “During the Lok Sabha election, Maha Vikas Aghadi created a fake narrative. We have countered it with a straight narrative. Now people know they lied. They said (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji would come and change the Constitution and end reservation. So, people voted for Rahul Gandhi and MVA. And Rahul Gandhi went abroad and said the need for reservation is declining and they will end it. Their lies have died and our truth is out. So we will be elected,” he said.

The BJP leader was referring to Mr Gandhi’s remark during his recent visit to the US during which he said, “We will think of scrapping reservations when India is a fair place and India is not a fair place.” The remark sparked a massive row back home, with the BJP slamming the Congress leader and saying it would not allow reservations to be scrapped.

On the Dalit vote factor in Maharashtra polls, Mr Fadnavis said, “Dalit voter is important. But, in a large state like Maharashtra, no single community can decide the election. The Dalit voter had gone away from us due to fake narratives in the Lok Sabha election, but they have returned.”

A ‘Roko’ Barb At Rivals

Taking a swipe at Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders, Mr Fadnavis said they were just interested in roko — meaning stop. “If there is discussion on development, I bet our rivals won’t be able to participate. Because they always worked to stop (projects) — bullet train roko, Metro roko, Mahamarg, Atal Setu roko, airport roko. Our work is thoko – finish work and progress,” he said.

Mr Fadnavis also criticised a section of the media, saying that they are more interested in focusing on political leaders’ barbs against each other instead of development initiatives.

On the Eknath Shinde government’s development agenda, Mr Fadnavis said a river-linking project aimed at making Maharashtra drought-free is in the works. “We will have Vadhavan Port in the next few years. It will put India on the global maritime map. It will not only help Maharashtra in its economic growth but also become a growth engine for India.”

Sanjay Raut’s ‘Vote Jihad’ Swipe

Earlier in the day, Mr Raut responded to the BJP’s Vote Jihad offensive. “Fadnavis should explain what is vote jihad. Wasn’t it a vote jihad when Muslim votes went to Modi in 2019? When you get Muslim votes, it is not vote jihad and when the same votes come to the Congress or us, it is vote jihad?” Mr Raut said at the NDTV event.

The term ‘vote jihad’ became a talking point during the Lok Sabha polls when Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam asked Muslim voters to wage “vote jihad” against the BJP.

Prime Minister Modi had targeted the INDIA Opposition bloc over the remark and said, “Terrorists in Pakistan are threatening jihad against India. And here, those in Congress have also announced vote jihad against Modi, which means people of a particular religion are being asked to vote unitedly against Modi. Imagine what level the Congress has stooped to. Do you agree with Vote Jihad? In a democracy, can it be done? Does our constitution allow this kind of Jihad?” he had said.

Targeting the Mahayuti alliance, Mr Raut said, “These people have mortgaged the pride of Maharashtra in Delhi. These people have disrespected the Marathi manoos.”