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Sharad Pawar earlier said a comparison between votes polled and seats won by political parties in the Maharashtra assembly polls was “surprising.”
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and NCP-SP Chief Sharad Pawar | File Image/PTI
Maharashtra’s newly-elected Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday submitted his sharp response to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar’s recent remarks on BJP-led Mahayuti’s victory in Maharashtra elections, saying that the opposition must “accept defeat” and “introspect.”
Sharad Pawar, whose party could bag only 10 seats in the 288-member assembly, said a comparison between votes polled and seats won by political parties in the Maharashtra assembly polls was surprising.
Responding to Sharad Pawar’s allegations that Congress and NCP (SP) won fewer seats despite getting more votes than Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, Fadnavis pointed to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP secured more votes (1,49,13,914) but won only 9 seats. “Meanwhile, Congress received 96,41,856 votes and won 13 seats,” Fadnavis noted in a post on X.
“Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde’s party) got 73,77,674 votes and 7 seats, while NCP-Sharad Pawar group got 58,51,166 votes and 8 seats,” Fadnavis added while highlighting the Lok Sabha 2024 election results.
श्री शरद पवार साहेब, @PawarSpeaksआपण ज्येष्ठ नेते आहात, किमान आपण तरी देशातील जनतेची दिशाभूल करू नका.जास्त मतं मिळूनही कमी जागा कशा?चला 2024 लोकसभेत काय झाले ते पाहू,भाजपाला मतं 1,49,13,914 आणि जागा 9, पण काँग्रेसला मतं 96,41,856 आणि जागा 13.शिवसेनेला 73,77,674 मतं आणि 7…— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) December 7, 2024
It comes after Sharad Pawar while addressing a press conference in Kolhapur on Saturday, said, “Congress got around 80 lakhs while the number of elected members from the party is 15. Shiv Sena got 79 lakh votes with 57 members elected. We (NCP-SP) got 72 lakh votes with 10 members elected. Ajit Pawar-led NCP received 58 lakh votes with 41 members elected.”
In the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Sharad Pawar-led party contested 87 seats while Ajit Pawar’s NCP fought on 59 seats.
“This is just the data we are presenting. Commenting on it at this point is not appropriate since we don’t have any more information,” he said, adding fuel to the opposition’s ongoing protest over the alleged “misuse” of EVMs in the Maharashtra assembly elections.
The BJP leaders have rejected the allegations against EVMs, mocking the opposition, saying they are looking for excuses to hide their shortcomings.
Pawar said that the Opposition should not lose heart over its rout but go back to the people who do not seem to be enthused by the massive victory of the BJP-led Mahayuti in the Maharashtra elections.
The Mahayuti alliance consisting of BJP-NCP-Shiv Sena secured a landslide victory in the November 20 state polls by winning 230 of the 288 seats.