Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP, Sanjay Raut, on Friday took strong objection to US President Donald Trump’s move to congratulate Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on the West Bengal Assembly election results, saying that these are state-level elections — an internal matter of India’s federal democracy and any external endorsement appears premature and misplaced.
He went on to urge President Trump for a more informed and balanced view, given his emphasis on democratic values.
In his post on X, Raut said he was writing in his capacity as a Member of Parliament from India. “Democracy is not just about elections — it is about ensuring they are free, fair, and credible. When serious allegations arise, they warrant scrutiny, not celebration. Were these concerns considered before your statement?” he asked President Trump.
“More importantly, serious concerns have emerged. Numerous complaints allege an atmosphere of fear, intimidation, and systemic pressure. There are widespread perceptions that the Election Commission did not act impartially and that its functioning appeared to favour the BJP, raising questions about institutional neutrality. Equally troubling are allegations regarding the extensive deployment of central forces, which many believe created coercion rather than confidence,” stated Raut.
He further noted, “Senior leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, have publicly raised concerns about the fairness of the process. These reflect a broader unease that cannot be ignored.”
President Trump had congratulated PM Modi on his “historic and decisive” election victory, as per a White House spokesman on Tuesday.
“Just last month on their phone call, President Trump expressed to Prime Minister Modi his admiration and how lucky India is to have him as its leader,” White House Spokesman Kush Desai said. “The President congratulates Prime Minister Modi on this recent, historic, and decisive election victory,” he added.
Earlier, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Tuesday said that the results of the state elections have unfolded exactly as the BJP had planned. However, it has raised serious concerns about the “pattern” used to secure these wins and the grim state of democracy it represents.
The Thackeray camp, in a scathing editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ claimed that the “Modi-Shah pattern” of capturing elections was evident in the results for Assam and West Bengal.
In Tamil Nadu, this same strategy reportedly led to a change in power, displacing the DMK. While actor Vijay’s TVK party did not reach a full majority, it is expected to secure over 100 seats due to strategic vote division —leaving the DMK-Congress alliance with around 70 seats and the BJP-AIADMK alliance with approximately 50.
The editorial said that while these five state election results are ‘game changers’ for the BJP, they do not appear to have been achieved through straightforward means.
“The greatest anticipation was for West Bengal, where Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress had won three consecutive terms. During this time, Modi and Shah exerted every possible effort to defeat her but failed. However, this time, they found a “third partner” in Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, which led to the BJP’s success,” it alleged.
(IANS)
