The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP SP) leader Rohit Pawar on Thursday alleged that the BJP was systematically poaching MLAs from the ruling Mahayuti allies in Maharashtra including Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP ahead of the 2029 elections.
According to the PTI, while addressing a press conference, Rohit Pawar said, “BJP is breaking Ajit Pawar`s MLAs one by one.”
He further claimed that several MLAs from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP are likely to switch to the BJP before the next state polls.
Citing internal discontent, Pawar pointed to recent actions by ruling party members. He mentioned Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, who had raised concerns about over one lakh bogus voters in his Buldhana constituency. Despite repeated complaints, Gaikwad alleged that the district collector’s office failed to act or update the electoral rolls.
As per the PTI, he also criticised NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap, who recently urged people to buy Diwali items only from Hindu traders, a statement that aligned with BJP`s narrative. Though Ajit Pawar reprimanded him, Jagtap remained unapologetic, Pawar added.
Rohit warned that both Deputy Chief Ministers, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, may soon find themselves struggling to stop what he called the BJP’s “vote theft” strategy.
Alleges large-scale voter manipulation
Rohit has raised serious concerns over what he described as massive electoral fraud in the lead-up to the Maharashtra assembly elections. The NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leader alleged that large-scale irregularities were carried out following the disappointing performance of the Mahayuti alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
According to Rohit, these irregularities included the registration of bogus voters, bulk deletion of genuine voters, duplication of names across constituencies, and the misuse of Aadhaar details to create fake voter entries with altered photos and names. He further claimed that even deceased individuals were shown as alive, and bogus votes were cast in their names.
Highlighting the suspicious spike in voter registration, Rohit pointed out that between 2019 and 2024, about 32 lakh voters were added, averaging roughly 54,000 new voters per month. However, in the six months since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he alleged that a staggering 48 lakh new voters were added, an unusually high number in such a short span.
In his own Karjat-Jamkhed assembly constituency, Rohit claimed that 14,292 new voters were added, 5,360 names were deleted, and 14,162 duplicate entries appeared in the voter rolls after the general elections. He alleged that in many cases, the Aadhaar card details of legitimate voters were used to register fake voters in other constituencies, often with only the name and photo altered.
Rohit`s allegations, if substantiated, point to serious lapses in electoral data integrity. He has called for greater transparency, accountability, and stricter scrutiny of voter registration practices to ensure fair and free elections in the state.
(With PTI inputs)
