Introspect, apologise was the message from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to Rahul Gandhi, just hours after the Congress leader alleged new voters were added mostly in constituencies where the BJP won in the Maharashtra election.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Monday alleged that about 70 lakh voters, equivalent to Himachal Pradesh’s population, were added to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and state elections.
“Introspect instead of insulting Maharashtra! You have insulted the people of Maharashtra, the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Phule and Veer Savarkar. You have questioned the democratic mandate given by the people of Maharashtra to the NDA just because your party was vanquished,” hit back Mr Fadnavis, whose BJP, with 132 seats, recorded its best-ever performance in the state, while the Congress managed to win just 16 seats in the November polls.
“Instead of introspection, you are indulging in slander. The people of Maharashtra won’t forgive you for this. Apologise Mr. Rahul Gandhi!” Mr Fadnavis added.
Introspect instead of insulting Maharashtra !
You have insulted the people of Maharashtra, the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, BharatRatna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Phule and Veer Savarkar.
You have questioned the democratic mandate given by the people of Maharashtra…— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) February 3, 2025
Speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha, Mr Gandhi alleged that about 70 lakh voters, equivalent to Himachal Pradesh’s population, were added to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and state elections.
“Now, I want to bring to the notice of this House some data about Maharashtra polls. Between the Lok Sabha polls, which the INDIA bloc won, and the assembly elections, the number equivalent to the population of Himachal was added to the voting rolls of Maharashtra,” Mr Gandhi told the House, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance.
“More voters were added in Maharashtra in five months between the Lok Sabha and assembly polls than in five years,” the former Congress president said.
Mr Gandhi had last month alleged that there is a “serious problem” with the country’s election system and that the Election Commission needs to ensure there is transparency in polls.
Maintaining that “something wrong” has taken place in the Maharashtra assembly elections, he had said the Congress and the Opposition have been asking for voter lists of Maharashtra and Haryana elections, which the poll body is refusing to provide.