New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS): As vote counting progresses in Maharashtra, Congress leaders Ajay Rai and Ragini Nayak have raised serious concerns over the integrity of the electoral process, accusing the BJP of hijacking the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and manipulating the electoral system to secure victory.
Speaking to IANS, Ajay Rai alleged that the BJP had utilised every resource at its disposal to influence the outcome.
"The poll machinery has been hijacked. This is not the decision of the people, but the manipulation of electoral machinery and government forces. The BJP had completely taken control of the EVMs in Maharashtra," said Rai.
He was echoing the sentiments of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who questioned the legitimacy of the election results.
"I support Raut's claim that this is not the people's decision," he said and further accused BJP leaders like Vinod Tawde of distributing money for votes, amplifying concerns about vote-buying and electoral manipulation.
Congress leader Ragini Nayak also criticised the results, which she described as "unexpected."
She pointed to the BJP's controversial campaign tactics, including inflammatory and divisive slogans like "Batenge toh Katenge" and statements about hoisting flags in Pakistan.
"These tactics were aggressively used in the final phase of the election," she said, arguing that the campaign’s negativity undermined democracy.
Nayak also pointed to the recent FIRs against BJP's Vinod Tawde, who was allegedly caught distributing money, and highlighted what she termed as the 'suppression of democracy' in Maharashtra.
"The Congress party has focussed on issues like inflation, unemployment, and farmers' rights, but these concerns are being sidelined," she remarked, vowing to keep fighting for their place in Indian politics.
In contrast, Nayak expressed satisfaction with the Congress' victories in Jharkhand, where she celebrated the success of the tribal community and the defeat of the BJP's divisive tactics.
"The people of Jharkhand rejected the BJP’s negative campaign," she said. She also pointed to the Congress' success in Jammu and Kashmir, despite the BJP’s focus on Article 370, asserting, "We won in J&K, despite the BJP's divisive narrative."
Nayak concluded by stressing that the Congress would continue to fight for the issues that matter most to the people.