Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for terming the 2024 state assembly polls as “match-fixing”, reported news agency PTI.
In an article, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had alleged “match-fixing” in the Maharashtra polls and claimed that it would next happen in the Bihar elections and “anywhere the BJP is losing”.
Hitting back, Shinde said his allegations were baseless, a waste of time and reflective of a party that has lost its relevance in the country`s politics.
Those who have no political credibility left in the country are now making desperate allegations, Shinde said.
“Even before the Lok Sabha elections, his Bharat Jodo Yatra passed through Maharashtra, but the people did not support him. Despite this, false narratives were spread that reservations would be cancelled, that the Constitution would be changed. This led to the election of a few (opposition) MPs. At that time, there were no objections to the Election Commission or the process,” a statement from Shinde`s office said, reported PTI.
The Mahayuti comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP carefully planned their campaign and remained focused on issues concerning the common citizen, resulting in people giving it a decisive mandate in the state polls, he added.
“To go abroad and falsely claim that reservation will be scrapped, to defame the country, and then to question the same electoral process that was once accepted. This is hypocrisy. The public is watching and it will not forget,” Shinde said, reported PTI.
Such moves will ensure the Congress` defeat in the upcoming local body polls as well, the Deputy CM said.
In an event in which workers from several parties from Ahilyanagar and Thane joined the Shiv Sena, Shinde also hit out at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.
The MVA government under Thackeray was an “ineffective and stalled” dispensation that only believed in suspending people and works, while the Mahayuti government is committed to development, progress, and prosperity, Shinde claimed, reported PTI.
Former MLA Bhanudas Murkute along with his supporters joined the Shiv Sena. Some 700 Shiv Sena (UBT) workers also crossed over to the Shinde faction.
(With inputs from PTI)
