Sena (UBT) Says Bihar Election ‘Scam’ Mirrors Maharashtra Formula Used Against MVA

Shiv Sena (UBT) has branded the NDA's landslide victory in the Bihar Assembly elections as a "scam in Indian democracy," alleging in its mouthpiece Saamna on November 15, 2025, that the Election Commission of India (ECI) colluded with the BJP to orchestrate vote theft and ensure the opposition Mahagathbandhan's decimation. The editorial, published a day after the NDA secured over 200 seats in the 243-member House—led by the BJP's 89 and JD(U)'s 85—claimed the poll body's bias mirrored the Maharashtra 2024 debacle, where the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was allegedly restricted to under 50 seats despite strong public support. Uddhav Thackeray's faction accused the ECI of acting as a "gatekeeper for thieves," eroding trust in electoral integrity and questioning how citizens can rely on institutions that facilitate manipulation. The piece framed the Bihar results as a premeditated blueprint for BJP dominance, predicting the party would eventually subsume ally JD(U) to install its own chief minister.

The Sena (UBT) pointed to the "Vote Adhikar Yatra" led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, which it said drew massive crowds and grassroots momentum, only to be nullified by systemic rigging. It lambasted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar—reinstated for a record ninth term—as "handicapped by memory loss," citing his public gaffes and erratic alliances as evidence of incapacity to lead a state grappling with migration, unemployment, and floods. "How will such a person take Bihar forward?" the editorial asked, portraying Kumar as a puppet in the BJP's strategy despite the NDA's two deputy CMs from the saffron party. The opposition's collapse—RJD down to 25 seats from 75, Congress to a paltry six from 19—underscored the narrative of engineered defeat, with the Sena (UBT) warning that unchecked ECI partisanship threatens democratic foundations nationwide.

This scathing critique aligns with broader MVA discontent, echoing Congress and NCP (SP) leaders who demanded repolls in select Bihar constituencies over EVM discrepancies and voter suppression claims, though the ECI dismissed them as baseless. The NDA's triumph, securing a two-thirds majority without relying on smaller allies, has bolstered Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "400-paar" momentum ahead of key state polls, while exposing fractures in the INDIA bloc—evident in Tejashwi's post-result silence and internal RJD recriminations. For Shiv Sena (UBT), still reeling from its own 2024 split and reduced tally, the editorial serves dual purposes: rallying anti-BJP sentiment in Maharashtra's urban strongholds and positioning Thackeray as a vocal guardian against institutional capture.

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As Bihar swears in its new government amid celebrations in Patna, the allegations risk escalating into legal challenges, with potential petitions to the Supreme Court mirroring past EVM controversies. Yet, without concrete evidence beyond anecdotal turnout disparities, the claims may fuel political rhetoric more than judicial action. In a polarized landscape, the Sena (UBT)'s salvo underscores deepening distrust in electoral processes, compelling the ECI to reinforce transparency—perhaps through enhanced VVPAT audits—to safeguard its credibility in future cycles. For now, the NDA's Bihar blueprint stands unchallenged on the ground, even as opposition voices cry foul from the sidelines.

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