New Delhi: A fresh political debate erupted in Maharashtra as chief minister Devendra Fadnavis sharply countered NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s comments on the assembly election results, challenging his views on the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition’s victory. Pawar had raised concerns about the lack of enthusiasm among the people of Maharashtra after the ruling coalition’s overwhelming win, which sparked a swift response from Fadnavis.
At a press conference in Kolhapur, Sharad Pawar questioned the post-election atmosphere, saying there was a noticeable absence of joy following the ruling coalition’s victory. He suggested that opposition parties, though defeated, must continue to hold the government accountable for its pre-poll promises. Pawar specifically mentioned the promise to increase financial assistance for women under the Ladki Bahin scheme from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100, which would be monitored by the opposition despite the setback.
Pawar questions vote-seat comparison
He also compared the vote-share and seat allocation of various parties in the assembly elections. Pawar pointed out the disparity, stating that Congress had secured 80 lakh votes but won only 16 seats, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, with 79 lakh votes—just 1,00000 votes fewer—had won 57 seats.
In response to Pawar’s remarks, Devendra Fadnavis took to X, calling for Pawar to accept the results gracefully and refrain from misleading the public. Fadnavis highlighted inconsistencies in vote-to-seat ratios from previous elections to counter Pawar’s claims, particularly referencing the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Fadnavis asks Pawar to better understand public sentiment
Fadnavis pointed out that despite securing 14,913,914 votes, the BJP only won 9 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In contrast, Congress, with 9,641,856 votes, secured 13 seats, and the NCP faction led by Pawar won 8 seats with 5,851,166 votes. He also highlighted the 2019 Lok Sabha data, where Congress received 8,792,237 votes but only won 1 seat, and the NCP garnered 8,387,363 votes and secured 4 seats.
Fadnavis urged Pawar to accept the election outcome and advised him to encourage his party colleagues to introspect and better understand public sentiment.
