‘Don’t mislead people’: As Sharad Pawar raises doubt about poll results, Maharashtra CM Fadnavis hits back
Devendra Fadnavis cited polling numbers from previous elections to counter Sharad Pawar, who had expressed surprise at the Maharashtra Assembly election results.
CM Fadnavis reacted to Sharad Pawar's comment by citing figures from previous elections. (X)
After Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar raised doubts about the outcome of the recently held Maharashtra assembly elections, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday hit back at him, asking him ”not to mislead people of the country”.
”Sharad Pawar, you are a veteran leader. At least, you should not mislead the people of this country… If you accept defeat, you will quickly come out of it. I hope you will advise your colleagues to self-introspect,” Fadnavis said in a post on social media.
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Speaking in Kolhapur on Saturday, Pawar expressed surprise at the Maharashtra Assembly election results, citing figures for voting for different parties and the seats they won.
”The Congress received 80 lakh votes but 15 of its candidates were elected as MLAs. Shiv Sena (Shinde) got 79 lakh votes, they have 57 MLAs. NCP (SP) secured 72 lakh votes and has 10 MLAs. NCP (Ajit Pawar) received 58 lakh votes, and 41 candidates became MLAs. These voting figures are surprising. We have yet to study them deeply. Till we get the official figures, we will not express doubts about EVMs,” said Pawar.
In Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024, the ruling Mahayuti registered a landslide victory, winning 235 seats. None of the parties in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had sufficient seats to become the Leader of Opposition, for the first time in six decades.
“Though people have elected Mahayuti, they are not confident about the authenticity of the voting figures. There is unease among the people and that is why after the elections, Maharashtra did not witness enthusiasm,” said Pawar, who will later visit the Markadwadi village in Malshiras taluka of the Solapur district where the police stopped an attempted “repoll” using ballot papers by the villagers.
”I cannot understand the reason for the administration to stop the polling by ballot papers… I don’t know under which law this was done. I will visit Markadwadi and try to understand the issue,” he said.
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Late Saturday evening, Fadnavis reacted to Pawar’s comment by citing figures from previous elections. ”You said despite getting more votes, your party got fewer seats… Let me highlight what happened in the 2024 (Lok Sabha) elections. BJP secured 1,49,13,914 votes and won nine seats. However, the Congress received only 96,41,856 votes and won 13 seats. Shiv Sena got 73,77,674 votes and won seven seats, NCP (SP) got 58,51,166 votes and won eight seats.”
Fadnavis added, “The 2019 Lok Sabha election figures are worth highlighting. Congress got 87,92,237 votes and won one seat, and then the undivided NCP secured 83,87,363 votes and won four seats.”
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