Husband's defeat: actor Swara Bhasker alleges EVM manipulation

Mumbai: Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar has blamed the voting machines after NCP’s (Sharad Pawar) Fahad Ahmed, her husband, lost in the Anushakti Nagar constituency in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

After a tight contest, Mahayuti ally NCP (Ajit Pawar)'s candidate and former minister Nawab Malik's daughter Sana Malik won the constituency.

“In #AnushaktiNagarvidhaan sabha after a steady lead by @FahadZirarAhmad of NCP-SP.. round 17, 18, 19 suddenly 99% battery charger EVMs are opened and BJP supported NCP-Ajit Pawar candidate takes lead. How can machines that have been voted on ALL day long have 99% charged batteries? Why do all 99% charged batteries give votes to BJP and its allies?” Bhaskar wrote on X.

Swara raised the question after Fahad, who is trailing by 3,300 votes, demanded a recount after accusing the BJP of manipulating the result, India Today reported. He said that he was leading in Anushakti Nagar after 17 rounds of counting and raised doubts about EVMs showing 99 per cent battery charge. He said that when he led EVMs that showed less battery charge, his opponent Sana Malik led EVMs with a 99 percent charge.

Fahad was the state president of the Samajwadi Party youth wing and joined the NCP just before the elections. Swara has raised suspicions that Fahad, who was clearly leading in the first rounds, finally fell behind.

Earlier, Shiv Sena Uddhav faction leader Sanjay Raut had also come up with allegations of rigging in the elections.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has achieved a victory that has surprised even political observers. The Mahayuti alliance is winning or advancing in 232 seats. The Maha Vikas Aghadi, an alliance of Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT) parties, has shrunk to 51 seats. The Mahayuti alliance will be returning to power by winning a large majority, crossing the magic number of 145.