On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut criticised the Election Commission, accusing it of behaving as a “extended branch of the BJP.” Raut stated that the voting process in Maharashtra`s 13 Lok Sabha constituencies amid phase 5 of India General Elections 2024 was purposefully slowed in places where Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates anticipated a large participation, reported PTI, 

Speaking to reporters, Raut stated that the polling went well in areas where the BJP or its allies were expected to gain more votes. Following Monday`s vote in these constituencies, including six in Mumbai, during the final phase of the India General Elections 2024 in Maharashtra, poll officials reported an average turnout of 54.33 per cent. Official turnout figures will be announced later, the PTI report added.

Reportedly, the six Mumbai constituencies had an average turnout of 52.27 per cent after voting during phase 5 of India General Elections 2024 on Monday, down from 55.38 per cent in the 2019 election. Raut reported that voting in regions expected to support the Shiv Sena (UBT) or MVA was particularly delayed. He focused on issues in Thane and Kalyan, where his party projected strong support.

“Wherever the Shiv Sena (UBT) or MVA was expecting good votes, there was a snail-paced election. The Election Commission is an extended branch of the BJP,” he claimed.

“The polling process was messed up in Thane and Kalyan where there was a possibility of the Shiv Sena (UBT) getting more votes,” he said. 

Raut noted specific issues in Mumbra (Thane district), where only 11 votes were cast in one hour, blaming this on fears of defeat inside the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP coalition. He accused the ruling parties of interrupting the India General Elections 2024 process to deter voting because EVMs could not be hacked and vote-buying was impossible, the PTI report stated. 

Despite efforts to hold down voting, Raut said that people remained undaunted, presenting the delays as a desperate drive by the BJP to avoid electoral losses.

“At some booths in Mumbra (in Thane district), only 11 votes could be cast in one hour and this was due to the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP`s fear of losing. The mess in the polling process was to desist the electors from voting as the EVMs could not be hacked and money could not be distributed,” Sanjay Raut charged. 

He said, “While such attempts of slowing down the poll process were made till the very last minute, there was no effect on the voters. It was the last-ditch attempt by the BJP to save itself.”

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