‘400 paar’ slogan set us back, says Shinde on Mahayuti’s performance in LS election

Maharashtra Chief Minister acknowledges opposition's success in voter consolidation, urges party workers to counter false narratives for upcoming elections.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday attributed the setback suffered by the Mahayuti alliance in the recent Lok Sabha election in the State to loyal voters going on holidays assuming that the ruling bloc was set to win more than 400 seats.

He acknowledged that the alliance was caught off guard by the Opposition, which succeeded in voter consolidation.

Speaking at a joint Mahayuti rally in Mumbai, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis supported Mr. Shinde, saying the National Democratic Alliance leaders did not pay enough attention to the “lies spread by the Opposition” during the campaign.

The rally was attended by leaders of Shiv Sena, BJP, NCP headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and other small constituents.

In Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha, the Mahayuti alliance could win only 17 seats, while the MVA, comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), and Shiv Sena (UBT) bagged 30 constituencies, with an Independent candidate being declared the winner on one seat.

“We were caught off guard by the Opposition during the Lok Sabha election,” the Chief Minister said.

Leaders of the ruling alliance also urged party workers to gear up for the Assembly election by reaching out to people with all the government schemes and actively counter the Opposition’s “false narratives” about the State budget.