The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, has strongly criticized the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for alleging irregularities in electronic voting machines (EVMs) following their defeat in the recent Maharashtra assembly elections. The elections, held on November 20, resulted in a landslide victory for the Mahayuti alliance, which secured 230 out of 288 seats. In contrast, the MVA, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP), managed to win just 46 seats. Opposition leaders have called for a return to ballot paper voting, alleging discrepancies in the vote-counting process.

Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant accused the MVA of using EVMs as a scapegoat to cover up their electoral failure, stating that the alliance’s “double standards” were evident. He cited the Samajwadi Party’s departure from the opposition bloc and the MVA’s boycott of the oath-taking ceremony as examples of inconsistent behavior. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule also criticized NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar for spreading “misinformation” about the election results, asserting that such claims only served to confuse the public and deflect accountability for the opposition’s defeat.

Amid the accusations, NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad highlighted grievances from the Malshiras assembly constituency, where villagers protested curfews and arrests while demanding a repoll using ballot papers. Despite these claims, Mahayuti leaders have maintained that the opposition should take responsibility for their loss instead of questioning the credibility of EVMs. The controversy over voting methods has reignited the broader debate on the reliability of EVMs in India’s electoral process.