Shiv Sena (UBT) Alleges BJP ‘Pattern’ Behind 5-State Poll Results
The BJP won 207 of the 293 Assembly seats in West Bengal. The voter turnout exceeded 90 per cent, and no major incidents of violence were reported during the polling process.
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday alleged that the results of the recent Assembly elections in five States were “exactly as the Bharatiya Janata Party had planned”. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have established a specific “pattern” to influence electoral outcomes.
In an editorial published in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena (UBT) alleged that the BJP had deployed a similar “pattern” in Assam and West Bengal, and in dislodging the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu.
Questioning the conduct of the West Bengal polls, the party claimed that the BJP’s surge in the State was not the result of a fair contest but was “engineered”. It alleged that Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar acted in a manner favourable to the ruling party at the Centre. The editorial further claimed that the deployment of three lakh paramilitary personnel and the alleged removal of 92 lakh voters, purportedly supporters of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, were part of a pre-planned exercise.
The BJP won 207 of the 293 Assembly seats in West Bengal. The voter turnout exceeded 90 per cent, and no major incidents of violence were reported during the polling process.
Despite this, the Shiv Sena (UBT) said Opposition parties must question whether contesting future elections under the current system remains viable. It also alleged that the BJP’s preparations for victory indicated that the outcome had been decided well before the counting of votes.
Referring to Tamil Nadu, the party said the emergence of actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) had disrupted the traditional bipolar contest between the DMK and the AIADMK. It alleged that the BJP “orchestrated” a change in power by ensuring a split in votes. “While Vijay’s TVK did not secure a full majority, it was ensured that the party would win over a hundred seats by dividing the vote,” the editorial claimed.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) further said that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s strong anti-Hindi stance and emphasis on Tamil identity did not resonate with a changing electorate.
The party noted that while there was a change of government in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the BJP retained power in Assam and Puducherry. It alleged that these outcomes did not appear to have been achieved through “straightforward means”.
“It is true that people seek change, so why has there been no change in Assam?” the editorial asked. It criticised what it described as a “trader-style” governance under Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah, alleging rising prices, unemployment and an economic slowdown. It further claimed that the BJP secured votes by fuelling communal and religious tensions.
The BJP, however, dismissed the allegations. State BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban said the editorial would have no impact as the party continued to enjoy public support. “When the BJP wins, it is termed a threat to democracy. When the Congress wins, it is hailed as a victory for democracy. The people of West Bengal have rejected the alleged misrule and strong-arm tactics of Mamata Banerjee over the past 15 years,” he said.
