Raut Sees Maharashtra Pattern in Bihar Results, Points Finger at EC

 Mumbai: Reacting to the BJP-led NDA’s sweeping victory in the Bihar Assembly election, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday alleged that the “Maharashtra pattern” had been replicated in Bihar. He leveled serious charges against the Election Commission of India (ECI), claiming that the central poll body and the BJP were working together at the national level.

Mr. Raut said that, under such circumstances, a different outcome in the election was unlikely. Rebutting Mr. Raut, Maharashtra BJP media chief Navnath Ban said that when the NDA was elected to 206 seats in the 2010 Bihar Assembly election, nobody had raised a question about the ECI.

In 2024, the BJP-led Mahayuti, comprising the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, won the Maharashtra Assembly election by securing 230 seats out of the 288 seats in the State Assembly. The Opposition parties were surprised by the Mahayuti's thumping majority.

Mr. Raut, who is also a member of the Rajya Sabha, wrote a post on X: “There is no need to be shocked by the results of the Bihar Assembly elections. Looking at the way the Election Commission and the BJP were working hand-in-hand at the national level, a different result was hardly possible!”

Calling the Bihar result a “Maharashtra pattern,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said, “The alliance that was certain to come to power has been reduced below 50 seats!”

Mr. Raut is unwell and has taken a break from public engagements for some time due to health concerns. However, he expressed his views on the Bihar Assembly election’s result on his X account.

Replying to Mr. Raut’s post, the BJP media chief said that those who are blaming the poll body must remember the 2010 Bihar Assembly election’s result. The Congress was in power at the Center, and the NDA had won 206 seats in Bihar, while the Mahagathbandhan of the Congress and RJD won 25 seats.

Mr. Ban also advised Sanjay Raut to take a rest. In his reply to Mr. Raut’s post on X, which was written in Marathi, Mr. Ban said: “To those blaming the Election Commission, remember the 2010 Bihar election. Your party (read Congress-led UPA) was in power at the Centre, and the result was: NDA got 206, Mahagathbandhan got 25, and others got 8. Whom did you accuse back then? Back then, the voters finished (the Mahagathbandhan) within 33 seats. Therefore, relax — you seriously need some rest.”

Though the alliance of BJP and JDU did win 206 seats in the 2010 Bihar assembly election, the RJD did not contest the poll in alliance with the Congress. The then Lalu Prasad Yadav-led party had formed an alliance with the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) led by late Ram Vilas Paswan, and the Congress had contested all 243 seats alone. The Lok Janshakti Party is now part of the NDA.

Apart from many Congress leaders, including Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of helping the BJP-led coalition. Controversial stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra also echoed the similar sentiments calling the election a “fixed match”.