A day after BJP won elections in 3 crucial States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Sanjay Raut courted controversy by casting aspersions on the integrity of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) on Monday (4th December).
While speaking to ANI, the Shiv Sena UBT (Udhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader claimed, “The public mandate in Telangana is different from that of 3 other States…The BJP has won big this year. We welcome the mandate even though EVM delivered it.”
“We always say that and people too have their suspicions – How is this result even possible, especially in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh? We say that if people have doubts (about the results), then, you must resolve them. Conduct one election on the ballot paper. Just one and resolve the public’s doubts.,” Raut brazened out.
#WATCH | Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says, "…Public mandate in four states is out. There is a different mandate in Telangana and different in the other three states. BJP registered a massive victory. The mandate should be welcomed…But we always say – there is suspicion in… pic.twitter.com/IgRhdnLIRw
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2023
“We demand one election on the ballot paper, whether Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha. After that, there will be no scope for people to question EVM,” he claimed, knowing well India’s history of misuse of ballot papers during elections.
Sanjay Raut however did not explain how its ally, Congress, managed to win in Telangana using the same Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). He then challenged the BJP to conduct elections for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and see the results.
The Shiv Sena UBT (Udhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader, who suggested that EVMS were unreliable, then dared the BJP to conduct elections through any means of their choice (including EVMs).