Maha Vikas Aghadi crumbles, blames EVMs, delays and ‘Ladla Bhai’ Adani

After besting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance suffered a devastating defeat in the state assembly polls.
The ruling Mahayuti coalition swept the elections, securing a commanding lead in over 200 of the 288 seats up for grabs, while the MVA — comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction — trailed with just 51.
As the Mahayuti celebrated its historic victory, the MVA rolled out a series of allegations and justifications for their dismal performance.
MVA leaders accused the Election Commission (EC) of delaying poll dates to give the BJP an edge. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate pointed to the timing of the election announcements, claiming the delay allowed the Mahayuti to roll out schemes like the Ladki Bahin Yojana to sway voters.
“Maharashtra results have been disappointing. We want to discuss more about EVMs and the way Maharashtra elections were postponed. Our campaign was good, but maybe the public expects more from us, and we will deliver on their expectations,” Shrinate said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged a “big conspiracy” behind the BJP’s victory, accusing billionaire Gautam Adani of being instrumental in the Mahayuti’s success.
“Mahayuti won with Adani’s help. He is ‘ladla bhai’ of BJP. This is not the people’s will. We are well aware of what the people of Maharashtra truly want,” Raut claimed, adding that the results do not reflect the people’s mandate.
Raut went further, questioning the legitimacy of the outcome itself. “We do not accept this as people’s mandate. Something is fishy in the election results,” he said.
Casting doubt on the poll data, he added, “Is it possible that Shinde gets 60 seats, Ajit Pawar gets 40 seats, and BJP gets 125 seats? The people of this state are not dishonest.”
Concerns over the integrity of electronic voting machines (EVMs) were also raised. “They have done some ‘gadbad’ (mess), they have stolen some of our seats,” Raut alleged.
Congress leader Udit Raj echoed these suspicions, tweeting, “As long as there are EVMs, elections cannot be fair. The election trends of Maharashtra clearly indicate that this is the victory of EVM.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi called for greater transparency. “People used to tell us that we are with you, but keep an eye on EVMs. A question mark definitely arises on the elections,” she said.
Actor Swara Bhasker also chimed in, questioning discrepancies in voting patterns. “How can machines that have been voted on ALL day long have 99% charged batteries? Why do all 99% charged batteries give votes to BJP and its allies?” she posted on X.