Mumbai: Maharashtra’s Chief Minister and BJP leader, Devendra Fadnavis, stated on Sunday that rather than reflecting on the Congress party’s loss in the 2024 state assembly elections, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is dismissing the people’s mandate, which he described as “insulting”.
In articles published in the Indian Express and the Marathi daily Loksatta, Fadnavis noted that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is already crafting excuses for potential future losses in upcoming assembly elections, including those in Bihar.
On Saturday, the Congress leader, in an article featured in various newspapers and posts on X, characterized the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections as a “blueprint for rigging democracy” and claimed that this “match-fixing” would soon take place in Bihar.
In his post on X, Gandhi outlined the alleged irregularities in detail — the addition of fake voters, inflation of voter turnout, facilitation of bogus voting, and subsequent concealment of evidence.
The Election Commission rejected these claims, stating that “defaming the poll panel after an unfavorable verdict is utterly absurd.” The Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, achieved a significant victory in the 2024 Maharashtra elections, defeating the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which comprises the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP).
Fadnavis remarked, “This will only drive the Congress party deeper into a ditch. He must reflect on why his own party’s MLAs challenge anyone to secure an appointment with him within a day. He should be aware of the direction he is steering the country and the harmful rhetoric he is perpetuating by continually casting doubt on the democratic process and constitutional institutions.”
Fadnavis further stated that the defeat in Maharashtra has affected Gandhi and his allies. “However, if you persist in insulting the mandate of Maharashtra’s farmers, Ladki Bahin (beloved sisters), ordinary citizens, and all its inhabitants in this manner, the people of Maharashtra will never forgive you,” he concluded.
Fadnavis elaborated, “Regarding the Maharashtra election, it was not essentially a rivalry between the Mahayuti and the Maha Vikas Aghadi. There was an additional element: The Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan. What was this ‘todo’ (break) initiative, launched under the banner of ‘jodo’ (unite), actually doing?”
He accused the campaign of creating misunderstandings among the public concerning the nation’s constitutional institutions, thus inciting opposition against the country itself—this included the judiciary and the Election Commission.
Fadnavis also emphasized the selection process of the Chief Election Commissioner, remarking, “From 1950 until a new law was introduced, the (previous) Congress administrations directly appointed the Chief Election Commissioner.”
“Out of 26 commissioners to date, 25 were appointed directly by the central government. For the first time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed a committee that includes the leader of the opposition or the leader of the largest political party (in the opposition),” he noted.
Fadnavis responds to Rahul Gandhi’s claim of ‘bogus voters’ with statistics
In response to Rahul Gandhi’s criticism regarding the increase in the number of voters in the 2024 Maharashtra elections, which he labeled as “bogus voters,” Devendra Fadnavis stated that the number of young voters is steadily rising.
“Between 2014 and 2019, 63 lakh new voters were registered; from 2009 to 2014, 75 lakh new voters were added; and from 2004 to 2009, 1 crore new voters were included. This indicates that nothing unusual occurred in 2024,” he explained.
Citing trends in voter turnout, Fadnavis noted that in 2004, the assembly election turnout exceeded that of the Lok Sabha polls by 5%; in 2009, it was 4% higher; in 2014, 3% higher; in 2019, 1% higher; and in 2024, it was again 4% higher. “So once more, nothing new occurred in 2024,” the Chief Minister remarked.
Addressing the accusation that there was a sudden spike in voting percentages, Fadnavis stated, “The assertion that the voting percentage surged unexpectedly is utterly ridiculous. Is Rahul Gandhi not aware that the period from 5 pm to 6 pm is also designated as polling time, and anyone in line at the booth by 6 pm is permitted to vote?”
He also highlighted that during the second phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the voter turnout recorded at 5 pm was 60.96%, which rose to 66.71% the following day — an increase of 5.75%. “But will you conceal that fact just because you won that election?” Fadnavis challenged.
In the past, final voting numbers were disclosed late at night, but now the 5 pm figure is announced first, followed by the final count the next day, he clarified.
The Chief Minister further rejected the notion that the NDA triumphed in areas where voter turnout surged at the last minute as “even more absurd.”
“Rahul Gandhi cited the example of Kamthi (an assembly seat in Maharashtra). However, I will present examples he overlooked. In Madha, there was an 18% increase, where the candidate from the Sharad Pawar group emerged victorious. In Wani, a 13% increase occurred, where the candidate from the Uddhav Thackeray group won. In Shrirampur, a 12% increase was noted, where the Congress candidate prevailed,” he concluded.
