Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for questioning the results of Maharashtra Assembly polls and said the Leader of Opposition's claims were "laughable". Fadnavis also criticised him for questioning the credentials of the Election Commission.
In an op-ed in Indian Express, Fadnavis said, "The people have rejected Rahul Gandhi, and in retaliation, he is rejecting the people and their mandate. This will only push the Congress party further into a ditch."
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader said Gandhi should introspect his statements. "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 said
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Citing the results, Fadnavis said, "The claim that the NDA won where the voter percentage increased at the last moment is even more laughable. He gave the example of Kamthi. But I will provide the examples which he did not. In Madha, there was an 18 per cent increase, where the Sharad Pawar group’s candidate won. In Wani, a 13 per cent increase, where the Uddhav Thackeray group’s candidate won. In Shrirampur, a 12 per cent increase, where the Congress won."
Gandhi on Saturday accused the BJP and Election Commission of "match-fixing" in Maharashtra Assembly polls and the same modus operandi will be followed for Bihar polls. Gandhi, in his op-ed in Indian Express, charged, "Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024 were a blueprint for rigging democracy. The match-fixing of Maharashtra will come to Bihar next, and then anywhere the BJP is losing."
The Election Commission denied Gandhi's charges. Election Commission said “unsubstantiated allegations” raised against the electoral rolls of Maharashtra are an affront to the rule of law.