Aaditya Thackeray, responding to the NDA’s big Bihar sweep, took a sharp shot at the Election Commission, suggesting the victory wasn’t as clean as it seemed. Thackeray also questioned whether Nitish Kumar would really stay Chief Minister, saying the BJP’s “style of politics” makes him doubtful.
For the unversed, the NDA won 202 out of 243 seats, puttingNitish Kumar in place for his fifth straight term. Tejashwi Yadav held Raghopur, winning by over 11,000 votes.
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Aaditya Thackeray takes a swipe after NDA’s big Bihar win
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader accused the Election Commission of helping the BJP by removing 65 lakh voters through what he called their “SIR experiment.” Speaking to ANI, Thackeray said, “I want to congratulate the Election Commission from the bottom of my heart. Their experiment of the SIR, through which they cut 65 lakh voters for their owners BJP, was successful.”
Dismissing claims that women voted because of schemes, saying women think harder than that and don’t vote for money, he added, “Would Nitish Kumar actually become the Chief Minister owing to the BJP’s game… I suggest he stay alert, because we have seen the BJP from up close… I don’t believe that the schemes for women could influence their votes.”
According to him, the NDA is hiding behind the Ladli Behna scheme to justify “vote-chori.” “Women always put thought into who they vote for… They have not voted, looking at ‘notes’ but at the face… They (NDA) are using the excuse of the ‘Ladli Behna’ scheme to justify their win through vote-chori,” he continued.
He concluded by saying the EC should be renamed the Selection Commission of India, asking what kind of election cuts out 65 lakh voters. “This magic happened due to the Election Comission… What’s the point of such an election where you cut the votes of 65 lakh voters? Call it the Selection Comission of India, why do they even call it the Election Comission of India?”
#WATCH | Mumbai | On NDA's landslide victory in Bihar, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray says, "I want to congratulate the Election Comission from the bottom of my heart. Their experiment of the SIR, through which they cut 65 lakh voters for their owners BJP, was successful.… pic.twitter.com/uvyEbHHg6a
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025 ALSO READ‘Split in Congress, investment in state and tourism’: PM Modi delivers bold message to opposition in victory speech for NDA – Key takeaways
Thackeray is not the first to take a swipe at the Election Commission. Earlier, speaking to PTI, Congress leader Pawan Khera also accused the Chief election commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar, of influencing the election as early trends rolled in, suggesting a big NDA win. He said, “The early trends show that Gyanesh Kumar Gupta is making an impact on the people of Bihar. The people have shown great courage despite issues like SIR and ‘vote chori.’ How effective Gyanesh Kumar Gupta will be remains to be seen. This contest is between the Election Commission of India and the people of Bihar.”
NDA’s big win and Nitish’s fifth term
After NDA registered a massive win, PM Narendra Modi addressed supporters in Delhi, thanking voters for the historic turnout and saying the result marks the start of a new era. The NDA did even better than its 2020 performance. The Mahagathbandhan, meanwhile, was stuck in the low 30s. However, the biggest blow was delivered to Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, which contested almost the entire state but didn’t win a single seat. Bihar’s turnout was high, 67.13% across the two phases on November 6 and 11. |
