Sanjay Raut, leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), has taken aim at the central government over its delay in scheduling elections for Maharashtra and Jharkhand, where elections are due this year.
On August 16, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the election dates for Haryana and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, set for September 18 to October 1. The Election Commission did not announce the dates for Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 on Friday. The poll body announced full schedule for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
Raut criticized the central government for allegedly attempting to destabilize Jharkhand by targeting Chief Minister Hemant Soren and poaching JMM MLAs. He argued that if elections had been scheduled, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) would have been in effect, preventing such interference. He also suggested that the delay in Maharashtra's election schedule was to provide additional time for the current leaders.
Raut further questioned the central government's commitment to the "one nation, one election" concept, noting their inability to conduct elections in multiple states simultaneously.
He also underscored the collaborative efforts of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, which includes Shiv Sena (UBT), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SCP), and the Congress Party, in challenging the current state government.