on Monday slammed the Election Commission (EC), asking if the poll body had given a "contract" to the ruling BJP to clear doubts raised by the opposition parties about its functioning.Raut's strong comments have come after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis wrote a newspaper article on Sunday to counter Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegation about "match-fixing" and "rigging" in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly polls.

The Election Commission rejected Gandhi's charge, saying defaming the poll panel after an unfavourable verdict is absolutely absurd.

In response to Gandhi's claims, Fadnavis, in his article, said that the Congress leader has been constantly "insulting" the democratic process and the people's mandate.

Talking to reporters, Raut said, "Rahul Gandhi has asked questions to the EC and not the BJP. Why should Devendra Fadnavis respond? Has the EC given the BJP contract to wipe the dust off its face and clear doubts about its functioning?"

He said the issue is not just about elections but the EC's conduct in the last ten years."The poll body facilitated the split in the Shiv Sena and handed over the NCP to Ajit Pawar when its founder, Sharad Pawar, is still around. All this was done under pressure from Union Minister Amit Shah to win elections. The poll body will have to respond to these questions also," Raut claimed.

He alleged that the EC is a caged parrot that has sold its soul and was working as a branch of the BJP.