New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis launched a sharp counter-attack on Sunday against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of “insulting” the people’s mandate by rejecting the outcome of the 2024 state assembly polls.
In articles published in The Indian Express and Marathi daily Loksatta, Fadnavis contended that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is already crafting excuses for anticipated future defeats, including in upcoming assembly elections in Bihar.
Fadnavis’s strong remarks came in response to Gandhi’s recent article and social media posts, where the Congress leader described the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections as a “blueprint for rigging democracy” and alleged that this “match-fixing” tactic would next be employed in Bihar.
Gandhi meticulously listed purported irregularities, including the addition of “fake voters,” inflated voter turnout, facilitated “bogus voting,” and subsequent concealment of evidence.
The Election Commission of India swiftly dismissed these allegations, stating that “defaming the poll panel after an unfavourable verdict is absolutely absurd.” It’s worth noting that the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, secured a decisive victory in the 2024 Maharashtra elections, overcoming the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which included the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP).
Fadnavis asserted that such accusations would only further marginalise the Congress. He urged Gandhi to introspect on internal party issues, citing reports of Congress MLAs struggling to secure appointments with him. “He must be mindful of which direction he is taking the country and what poison he is spreading by constantly raising doubts about the democratic process and constitutional institutions,” Fadnavis admonished.
He emphasised that the defeat in Maharashtra had evidently “stung” Gandhi and his allies, warning that continued disrespect for the mandate of Maharashtra’s citizens, including farmers and women, would not be forgiven. “But if you continue to insult the mandate of Maharashtra’s farmers, Ladki Bahin (beloved sisters), common people, and all its citizens in this manner, the people of Maharashtra will never forgive you,” he added.
The Chief Minister also took aim at Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan’, questioning its true intent by calling it a “todo” (break) campaign disguised as a “jodo” (unite) initiative. Fadnavis alleged that this campaign was fostering misconceptions about the nation’s constitutional institutions, thereby encouraging opposition against India itself, including the judiciary and the Election Commission.
Furthermore, Fadnavis addressed Gandhi’s criticism regarding the appointment process of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). He highlighted that from 1950 until a new law was enacted, previous Congress governments directly appointed CECs, with 25 out of 26 commissioners to date being direct central government appointments.
In contrast, Fadnavis pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government established a committee that, for the first time, includes the leader of the opposition or the leader of the largest opposition party. Regarding Gandhi’s objection to the rise in electors in the 2024 Maharashtra polls as “bogus voters,” Fadnavis countered by stating that the number of young voters is consistently increasing, a natural demographic trend.
