Mumbai, Aug 19 (IANS): Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut on Monday claimed that the MahaYuti government’s Ladki Bahin scheme is meant to influence the voters and the Election Commission's delay in the announcement of polls in Maharashtra was only benefitting the ruling party.

"Election Commission is a constitutional body. If this institution is working under the pressure of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister, then where is the democracy in this country? If elections are to be held in Maharashtra in December, it is the convenience of the rulers. If the elections are held now, the rulers are afraid that they will be defeated, that's why they have made this ploy," said Raut.

He was responding to new reports in a section of the media that the state Assembly election may take place in December. Even though the term of the present Assembly expires on November 26, the Centre may clamp the President’s Rule until the election will be held in December.

“The Election Commission has announced the Assembly elections in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir but not in Jharkhand and Maharashtra. The ruling party (at the Centre) postponed the Jharkhand elections because they wanted to break Hemant Soren's party. As you have seen, it is being said that Champai Soren will join the BJP. In Maharashtra too, efforts are being made to postpone the election for political gains," said Raut.

"If the Election Commission and the government are not ready to hold elections in Maharashtra that means that there is a dictatorship. Where is the Constitution? Is anyone going to answer this?" asked Raut.

NCP(SP) Sharad Pawar also commented on the possible delay in holding the Assembly election. "I don't know if the elections are postponed because of the Ladki Bahin scheme. The question needs to be asked to the Election Commission. In the speech the Prime Minister gave from the Red Fort on August 15, he proposed the One Nation, One Election. This means that the Prime Minister insisted that all the elections should be held simultaneously. The very next day, elections were announced in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir. This means that there is no reason to give much importance to what the Prime Minister says. Because we have come to know that the Prime Minister speaks one thing and the decision is another," Pawar remarked.

Sanjay Raut slammed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for his comment that Raj Thackeray left Shiv Sena due to Uddhav Thackeray, saying that the latter was lying. "When Raj Thackeray left the party, Eknath Shinde was with Uddhav Thackeray. Nobody even knew him beyond Thane. So he had nothing to do with politics before 25 years. Matoshree's doors were not open to him. So it is not right for him to talk about this. He does not know what happened then," he commented.

Raut further said that CM Shinde has now become a film producer. "I will make a film called 'Namak Haram', the entire script of which I will give." He also targeted Devendra Fadnavis and said that no one takes him seriously in Maharashtra.

Speaking on Sambhaji Bhide, Raut said that Manoj Jarange is capable of answering him. He also said that Sambhaji Bhide is associated with RSS, but did not want to comment more on it.

Raut also expressed displeasure over the condition of the Mumbai-Goa highway and said that people going to Konkan have to face a lot of problems, of which he is a witness.