In a fresh wave of political debate, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has responded sharply to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's recent comments about the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition's victory in the assembly elections. Pawar had claimed that there was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm or joy among the people of Maharashtra following the overwhelming win of the ruling coalition.
Fadnavis, in turn, challenged Pawar’s remarks, questioning his stance on the election results and calling on him to accept the outcome gracefully.
Speaking at a press conference in Kolhapur on Saturday, Pawar had suggested that the opposition parties need not worry, but must go back to the people after the setback. He also mentioned that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, despite their defeat, would continue to hold the government accountable for its pre-poll promises, including increasing the financial assistance for women under the Ladki Bahin scheme from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100.
Pawar’s observation that no enthusiasm was visible among the people of Maharashtra post-election has sparked a strong response from Fadnavis.
The Chief Minister took to Twitter to counter Pawar’s claims and draw attention to what he sees as inconsistencies in the translation of votes into seats in previous elections.
Fadnavis highlighted discrepancies in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where, despite the BJP securing 1,49,13,914 votes, it only won 9 seats. In comparison, he pointed out, Congress, with 96,41,856 votes, secured 13 seats, while the NCP-Pawar group won 8 seats with 58,51,166 votes. He further referenced how the Congress and NCP secured a low number of seats despite winning significant votes in the 2019 elections, stating that Congress received 87,92,237 votes but only managed to win one seat, while the NCP got 83,87,363 votes and secured four seats.
Fadnavis’s tweet urged Pawar to accept defeat gracefully and reflect on the results. He also advised Pawar to encourage his party colleagues to undertake self-assessment to better understand the public sentiment and electoral trends.
