Maharashtra Election 2024: Maharashtra assembly elections are turning interesting with each passing day. While the opposition claims that the BJP is trying to polarise the polls by giving a slogan of ‘Batenge to katenge’, the saffron party has now claimed ‘vote jihad’ attempt by NGOs on behalf of the opposition parties. Zee News TV has accessed a leaflet by ‘Marathi Muslim Sewa Sangh’, a body said to be the grouping of around 400 NGOs who are allegedly trying to polarise Muslim votes against the BJP in the guise of voter awareness.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said that not only this election but even during the Lok Sabha election, hundreds of NGOs were promoting ‘vote jihad’. “This plan has been going on for the last 12 months. It’s a well-planned conspiracy. I visited several localities during the Lok Sabha polls and saw Muslim women being polarised. I even published a book ‘Vote Jihad’ to highlight these issues. They are hatching a poisonous conspiracy. They want to spread riots,” said Somaiya.

| महाराष्ट्र में बड़ी साजिश का खुलासा, BJP को हराने के लिए 400 NGO सक्रिय, जागरुकता के नाम पर BJP विरोधी माहौल — Zee News (@ZeeNews)

He further questioned the source of funding of these NGOs claiming that many of these NGOs are only weeks or months old. “I have sent a complaint to the Election Commission in this regard. This is an attempt to provoke the religious sentiment of the people,” said Somaiya.

Notably, the leaflet contains several questions asking Muslim voters whether they will vote for a party which wants to shut Madrasas or interfere in the Shariyat or impose a Uniform Civil Code on Muslims among others. The leaflet also urges the Muslims to vote for Maha Vikas Aghadi, a coalition of Congress, NCP-Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena-UBT.

The 288 legislative assembly seats will go to the polls in a single phase on November 20 while the counting of votes will take place on November 23.

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