Raj Thackeray (L) and LoP Rahul Gandhi.
Credit: PTI Photos
Mumbai: Close on the heels of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, his cousin and MNS President Raj Thackeray has backed Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on the vote-chori charges.
However, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis slammed Uddhav and Raj, who are now working on a political alliance in the run up to the local body elections.
“They are just trying to console their own hearts and were attempting to tell their workers that they were indeed winning, that there was a conspiracy in their defeat so that the workers don't scatter….until they stop lying and insulting people, they cannot win,” said Fadnavis, a BJP stalwart.
Raj said that he had been speaking about the issue since 2016.
“Vote theft has been taking place for the last ten years. I have been speaking about it since 2016. I also met Sharad Pawar, Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and other opposition members. In 2017, I had suggested boycotting the polls," said Raj.
“When members from the Opposition as well as the government are raising doubts, the Election Commission should have investigated them, but it prefers to suppress the matter. The Election Commission will not do it, as it fears that the vote theft of the last 10 years will be exposed," Raj said.
Without naming any party, Raj added, “They have managed to form the government by stealing votes all these years.”
“Rahul Gandhi has raised the matter again. People are voting, but those votes are not reaching the candidates—they are being stolen," he said.