Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut believes that one of the major reasons why Mamata Banerjee’s TMC lost the 2026 West Bengal elections was her ignoring the messaging of Rahul Gandhi, who had warned that the BJP 'steals' elections.
Rahul had earlier claimed that there was ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) in at least 100 seats during the Lok Sabha elections, which helped the BJP retain power. He had also alleged similar ‘vote chori’ in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana.
Raut feels Mamata should have listened to Rahul and held discussions with him on how to prevent the BJP from gaining power in the state.
“Rahul Gandhi kept saying repeatedly (about vote chori). This was a very big mistake by Mamata Didi—that she did not listen to him. If Mamata Didi had sat down with Rahul Gandhi and discussed things, the results would have been different,” Raut said while speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
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Calling Rahul a visionary leader, Raut said that elections had been 'stolen' in both West Bengal and Tamil Nadu by the BJP.
{{/usCountry}}Calling Rahul a visionary leader, Raut said that elections had been 'stolen' in both West Bengal and Tamil Nadu by the BJP.
{{/usCountry}}BJP won the Bengal elections while actor-turned-politician Vijay's TVK emerged as the single largest party in Tamil Nadu, bringing an end of the MK Stalin-led government in the state.
“Whatever Rahul Gandhi said has come true. He is a leader with foresight and vision. The elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have been stolen,” Raut added.
Rahul backs Mamata's claim that ‘vote chori’ happened in Bengal
On Monday night, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP had ‘looted’ more than 100 seats and termed the Election Commission (EC) ‘the BJP’s commission,’ calling the victory ‘immoral’ and ‘illegal’.
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Rahul backed her claim, saying that the BJP followed the same playbook it had used earlier in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and the Lok Sabha elections.
In a separate post on X, the Congress leader also urged party members and those in the INDIA alliance not to gloat over TMC’s loss, but to understand that the alleged “theft” in Assam and Bengal is a step by the BJP to undermine democracy in India.
Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticised infighting within the opposition, saying such divisions weaken the broader anti-BJP front.
“The kind of gloating coming from within own INDIA Alliance over the failure of TMC and DMK is shameful to see,” she said, flagging recent reactions to electoral setbacks.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader warned that internal attacks and public criticism among allies only benefit the BJP. She urged parties to stay united ahead of key elections, stressing that the INDIA bloc was built on collective strength rather than rivalry, and should function with that spirit going forward.