Congress says Maharashtra result due to BJP’s ‘targeted manipulation’

Terming the victory in Jharkhand as one for the protection of the Constitution, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi says Congress will analyse Maharashtra results in detail 

While congratulating the Jharkhand voters for defeating the “politics of polarisation,” the Congress party termed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)’s defeat in Maharashtra Assembly elections ‘unexpected’ and called it a result of “targeted manipulation” by the BJP. 

The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that the victory in Jharkhand of the JMM-led alliance is one for the protection of the Constitution as well as of water, forest and land. “Heartfelt thanks to the people of Jharkhand for giving a huge mandate to INDIA. Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Chief Minister Hemant Sorenji, all the workers of the Congress and the JMM for this victory,” he wrote on X in Hindi. 

Election results 2024: Maharashtra | Jharkhand | Bypolls

“The results of Maharashtra are unexpected and we will analyse those in detail,” Mr. Gandhi said as he thanked the voters of the State for their support and all the party workers for their hardwork. He also lauded his sister and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for her victory in bypoll in Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.

At a press conference in party headquarters, Congress General Secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh countered the Mahayuti leaders’ contention that the Opposition had floated a “fake narrative” in Lok Sabha elections which did not work for them in the Assembly polls. “Let there be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the issues we raised during the Lok Sabha polls remain relevant and we shall continue to raise them,” he said. The Congress, he said, will continue to talk about economic inequalities, communal polarisation, caste census and need to defend the Constitution. He called the Maharashtra results as “very strange”.

ANALYSIS | Ideology, welfare, and caste census: What do Maharashtra and Jharkhand results tell us about them

Party’s chairman of Media and Publicity Department Pawan Khera said, “The Lok Sabha election was fought in the name of PM Narendra Modi in Maharashtra, the BJP lost it. The same State gives the same BJP 132 out of 148 seats within four to five months. What kind of strike rate is this? ...Is this strike rate possible? Democracy is our concern. Electoral transparency is our concern. Can the BJP reverse anti-incumbency?” 

Mr. Ramesh also rejected the contention that there were problems in the seat-sharing arrangement within the MVA. “The fact is that we had an alliance, there were differences which were resolved. We fought unitedly, but we were up against a machine which was manipulating on the ground, which had deliberately targeted seat after seat,” he said. Without mentioning any names, Mr. Ramesh said that several “non-entities” have won on BJP ticket in Maharashtra while several senior leaders of the three alliance partners in MVA have lost the polls.

Published - November 23, 2024 09:58 pm IST