Opposition senses a 'plot' over assembly polls schedule: 'BJP afraid of losing Maharashtra, Jharkhand'

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has slammed the BJP for deliberately delaying polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. (File Photo: PTI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party has deliberately delayed holding Assembly elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra as it fears a miserable loss in these poll-bound states at the Opposition’s hands, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said on Monday.

“Elections are postponed in Maharashtra and Jharkhand because they (BJP) want to remove Hemant Soren from the CM post, break his party and bring instability in Jharkhand… The same thing is in Maharashtra. They are afraid of losing in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. They are going to be swept in Maharashtra,” Raut said speaking to the media earlier today.

The remarks came two days after the Elections Commission of India announced the schedule of elections to the legislative assemblies of Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. However, it skipped polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand despite the tenure of the state assemblies concluding a month from each other.

The term of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assemblies end on November 26 and January 5, 2025, while the Haryana Assembly’s term concludes on November 3. The EC was directed by the Supreme Court to conduct polls in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30 this year.

‘Desperate bid to cling to power in Maharashtra’

Soon after the Election Commission announced the poll schedule for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, Opposition parties in Maharashtra accused the government of conspiring to create instability in the state and win elections sensing the wave in favour of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

“This selective approach to election scheduling reeks of political manoeuvring,” said Congress’ Vijay Wadettiwar, who also serves as Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly. “It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Mahayuti government, sensing an impending electoral defeat is desperately seeking ways to cling to power by delaying the democratic process,” he added.

‘BJP will be wiped out from Jharkhand if polls held today’

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren echoed the views of Opposition parties in Maharashtra and said that the BJP would be wiped out from the state if elections are held today.

“It seems the Election Commission is no longer a constitutional institution, as it has been occupied by BJP people… I challenge them (BJP) that if the Assembly elections are held today, they will be wiped out from Jharkhand tomorrow,” the CM said, according to PTI.

Soren, who returned as Jharkhand CM in July this year within days of his release on bail in a land scam case, said it was strange that Assembly elections due this year will be decided by the Opposition party (BJP) “and not by the Election Commission”.