Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of poll rigging in the state during the Assembly elections, accusing him of repeatedly insulting the democratic process, despite being “rejected by people”.
“Rahul Gandhi consistently insults the democratic process. He repeatedly disrespects the public mandate. People have rejected Rahul Gandhi, and in retaliation, he is rejecting the people. This will only push the Congress party further into decline,” Fadnavis said.
In a newspaper article on Saturday, Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, claimed that the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections were a “blueprint for rigging democracy” and alleged that this “match-fixing” would next happen in Bihar. The Election Commission swiftly rejected the charge, saying that defaming the poll panel after an unfavourable verdict was “absolutely absurd”.
Fadnavis, in a news article on Sunday, questioned Gandhi, asking, “By constantly casting doubts on the democratic process and constitutional institutions, where is this leading the country? What kind of poison is being spread?”
In the Assembly polls, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory, winning 235 of the 288 seats. None of the parties in the Maha Vikas Aghadi — Congress with 16 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) with 20 seats, and NCP (SP) with 10 seats — secured enough seats to claim the position of Leader of the Opposition, a first in six decades.
“I understand how deeply the defeat in Maharashtra must have hurt. But if you continue to insult the will of the farmers, women, citizens, and the people of Maharashtra like this, then the people of the state will never forgive you. As the Chief Minister and a servant of the people, I will always condemn such an insult to the people of Maharashtra,” Fadnavis said.
He also alleged that Gandhi is already preparing excuses for future defeats in upcoming Assembly elections, including in Bihar.
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