Devendra Fadnavis urges BJP workers to ‘bat but avoid hit wicket’

Fadnavis also claimed that welfare schemes such as Majhi Ladki Behen of Mahayuti government would stop if Maha Vikas Aghadi government was voted back to power

Deputy CM Devendra Fadanavis along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the BJP’s state convention at Shiv Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex in Balewadi on Sunday. Express Photo By Pavan Khengre

Deputy CM Devendra Fadanavis, while addressing BJP workers in the two-day conclave held in Pune, urged workers to go out and “bat” but cautioned them against getting out by “hit-wicket”. Fadnavis also claimed that welfare schemes such as Majhi Ladki Behen of Mahayuti government would stop if Maha Vikas Aghadi government was voted back to power.

Fadnavis blamed the false narrative created by the Opposition for the Lok Sabha results in the state. “Our workers worked hard- however we were not able to counter the narratives created by the opposition and thus we fared poorly in the Loksabha elections. The BJP would never hamper reservation or work against it,” he said.

The issue of changing of the constitution was a major narrative created by the opposition which saw the BJP winning only nine of the 28 seats it contested in the state. The Maha Vikas Aghadi won 30 of the 48 seats in the state with the Mahayuti won just 18 seats. The deputy chief minister had offered to resign from his position post the results and wanted to concentrate on the upcoming state elections.

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The state budget, which was presented earlier this month, saw the government roll out several social outreach schemes. Under CM’s Majhi Ladki Behen scheme, eligible women in the state would get a monthly sum of Rs 1,500. Men too upto the age of 35 would get monthly financial aid upto Rs 6,000. Fadnavis said these schemes would stop if MVA came back to power. Fadnavis urged BJP workers to go out among voters and fight the false narrative created by the Opposition. He asked workers to remain united and ensure they make comments or statements that can be percieved negatively.

Fadnavis was referring to incidents wherein remarks by BJP leaders had caused the party much embarrassment.

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