New Delhi: The Mahayuti alliance has achieved a landslide victory in Maharashtra, securing a two-thirds majority. In a notable contest between the rival Shiv Sena factions, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has won from the Karjat assembly constituency, leaving Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Nitin Nandkumar Sawant far behind. Thorve Mahendra Sadashiv is won by over 5,000 votes. Interestingly, Sawant is not even in contention, ranking a distant third. Independent candidate Sudhakar Parshuram Ghare was in second place, while Sawant trailed Shinde by over 44,000 votes.
Supporters of both the Shinde faction and the BJP are advocating for Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis to jointly lead the state as Chief Minister. However, senior alliance leaders have stated that a decision will be reached collectively. “All three parties will sit together and decide on the CM,” Fadnavis told the media.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has raised concerns over the election results, alleging irregularities and calling it a “major conspiracy.” He criticised the outcome, claiming it does not reflect the mandate of the Marathi people or the farming community. “We do not accept this as the people’s mandate. There is something suspicious about these results,” he remarked.
Raut questioned how all candidates from Eknath Shinde’s faction managed to win and expressed disbelief at the success of Ajit Pawar, whose recent defection had caused significant outrage in the state. He accused the Mahayuti of manipulating the election and “stealing seats.”
Raut also alleged that industrialist Gautam Adani, whom he claimed has close ties with the BJP, played a role in influencing the outcome. “This election has been bought with Adani’s money. While he faces challenges abroad, resources have been channelled here. Large sums were used to secure this result,” he stated. Rejecting the alliance’s victory, Raut added, “The people of Maharashtra are honest, and we trust their faith in us. These results do not reflect that faith.”
