05 June,2026 12:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sanjay Raut. File Pic
A fresh political war of words has erupted ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, with the BJP challenging Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut to substantiate his allegations of horse-trading in the upcoming polls.
Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Navnath Ban on Friday demanded that Raut make public any evidence supporting his claims that large sums of money were used to influence candidates and electoral outcomes in the council elections.
Ban dismissed Raut's accusations as baseless and accused the Rajya Sabha MP of repeatedly making unverified claims against the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP.
According to Ban, if Sanjay Raut possesses credible evidence of financial inducements or political horse-trading, he should place it in the public domain rather than making allegations through social media and public statements.
The BJP leader maintained that the ruling alliance enjoys sufficient numerical strength among elected representatives of local self-government bodies and therefore has no need to resort to unethical practices to secure victories in the Legislative Council elections.
The controversy began after Raut alleged that efforts to secure unopposed victories in several constituencies involved large-scale financial transactions.
In a post on social media platform X, the Sena (UBT) leader claimed that the political manoeuvring and withdrawal of nominations ahead of the elections involved significant sums of money. He suggested that opposition candidates had effectively entered the political marketplace by assigning prices to their withdrawals.
His remarks came after several candidates withdrew their nominations before the deadline, paving the way for unopposed victories in a number of constituencies.
Responding to Raut's allegations, Ban questioned the opposition's own handling of candidate selection and withdrawals.
He specifically referred to the Nashik local authorities constituency and claimed that the opposition had failed to field or sustain a candidate despite earlier announcements. Ban argued that Raut, who oversees party affairs in north Maharashtra, should explain developments in the region before levelling allegations against political rivals.
The BJP spokesperson also sought answers from the opposition regarding the withdrawal of certain Congress candidates in other constituencies, suggesting that similar questions could be raised about the circumstances behind those decisions.
Ban asserted that the Mahayuti alliance has a strong network of elected representatives across municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra. According to him, the alliance's electoral strength makes it unnecessary to engage in vote-buying or inducements.
He argued that candidates backed by the ruling coalition enjoy support from local body members belonging to their own alliance and therefore have a natural advantage in the elections.
The BJP leader reiterated that allegations of corruption or horse-trading should be backed by evidence rather than political rhetoric.
The elections are being held for 16 seats of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from local authorities' constituencies, along with a bypoll for one seat from the Nagpur local authorities constituency.
Polling is scheduled for June 18, while counting of votes will take place on June 22. Members of municipal corporations, municipal councils and other local self-government bodies form the electoral college for these elections.
The exchange between the BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) reflects the heightened political tensions ahead of the council elections. With several constituencies witnessing withdrawals and unopposed victories, both the ruling alliance and opposition parties are attempting to shape the narrative around the electoral process.
While the BJP has challenged Raut to provide evidence supporting his allegations, the opposition continues to question the circumstances under which candidates withdrew from the contest. The issue is likely to remain a subject of political debate as the elections draw closer.
(With inputs from PTI)
