Nana Patole alleges polling data manipulation in 2024 Maharashtra elections, claims IB report projected 160 MVA seats

Congress leader Nana Patole has alleged irregularities in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, claiming that an Intelligence Bureau (IB) assessment had projected 160 seats for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, including 75 for the Congress. He accused those involved of conspiring to prevent the opposition alliance from forming the government, citing alleged changes in voting figures after 5 pm on polling day. Patole made the allegations while addressing a Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Day gathering organised by Congress leader Pramod Dongre at Wadegaon in Balapur taluka of Akola district. According to Patole, the assessment had indicated a favourable outcome for the MVA and was shared with both the government and opposition parties. However, he did not produce documentary evidence to substantiate his claims about the intelligence report or the alleged manipulation of polling data. The allegations come nearly two years after the November 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, in which the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance registered a decisive victory over the MVA. The basis of Patole's claimed intelligence assessment and his allegations concerning voting figures would need to be assessed against official election records. Nana Patole predicts petrol prices could cross Rs 400 per litre Apart from questioning the election results, Patole warned that inflation could worsen significantly, predicting that petrol prices might exceed Rs 400 per litre in the coming period. No supporting forecast or data was cited for the projection in the account of his speech. The Congress leader also addressed speculation about former party members who could return to the organisation. He said several leaders who had previously left the Congress were now expressing interest in rejoining as the country's political situation changed. However, he indicated that the final decision on their return would be taken by the party high command. On former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, who joined the BJP in February 2024, Patole said Congress workers in the state continued to harbour considerable resentment towards him. His comments indicated that Chavan's potential return could encounter opposition within the Maharashtra Congress unit, even if the matter were considered by the party's central leadership. Karjat hydropower project: Patole raises tree-felling concerns Patole also criticised the proposed pumped-storage hydropower project at Karjat in Maharashtra's Raigad district, raising concerns about its environmental consequences. He claimed that the project could lead to the felling of more than 35,000 trees. The development has been described as having a capacity of 300,000 MW, although the stated capacity and the scale of the proposed tree removal require verification against official project documents. The Congress leader further alleged that the contractor, Torrent, was connected to a person named Mehta, whom he described as close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. No evidence was presented alongside this allegation. Warning the state and central governments against permitting environmental damage in Maharashtra, Patole said the Congress would launch a major agitation if the proposed tree felling at Karjat was not halted.