After the loss of the second candidate of Shiv Sena in the Rajya Sabha elections, the blame game in Maha Vikas Aghadi started.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that BJP misused the central agencies — The Enforcement Directorate to pressurise the smaller political parties and independent MLAs to vote for the BJP nominees in Rajya Sabha elections.
He said three MLAs of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi led by MLA Hitendra Thakur and five independent MLAs led the defeat of Shiv Sena candidate Sanjay Pawar against BJP nominee Dhananjay Mahadik.
“BJP’s victory in Rajya Sabha was the victory of business and that happened on the basis of BOT (Build Operate and Transfer). We have list of the MLAs that promised to vote for Maha Vikas Aghadi but voted BJP. They should not forget that Uddhav Thackeray is still chief minister of Maharashtra,” said Sanjay Raut.
In the first round of Rajya Sabha elections, Shiv Sena candidate Sanjay Pawar secured 33 votes while BJP’s nominee Dhananjay Mahadik got 25 votes but in the second round Mahadik completed the 41 votes quota while Pawar got a total of 39 votes.
BJP won all three seats while Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena won one seat each.
Bacchu Kadu, minister for state in Uddhav Thackeray's government, who had two votes of his Prahar Vikas Party said that this is wrong to blame the smaller parties and independents for the loss of Pawar. He said Congress and NCP did not take risks like Shiv Sena which ended up resulting in the loss of Pawar.
“Shiv Sena gave only 41 votes as per strategy and requirements to win the elections. But on the other hand, Congress gave 44 votes to its candidate while NCP gave 43 votes. These additional votes against the requirements of 41 votes for each candidate is one of the reason behind the loss of Sanjay Pawar. Congress and NCP gave additional votes to their respective candidates. It is true that some of the independent MLAs were sold out, but all. Therefore it is not right to blame all smaller parties and independent MLAs for the defeat of the Sena candidate in Rajya Sabha elections,” Kadu said.
Kadu also said that the BJP has the biggest weapon, ED, in their hand, which might have also used against the big leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi.
“NCP chief Sharad Pawar praised former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis after BJP victory in Rajya Sabha elections. Therefore, it is very difficult to understand the Pawar mind. You can fathom the depth of sea but not mind of Pawar,” Kadu said.