Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday accused Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of undermining the democratic process by dismissing the 2024 state assembly election results, instead of reflecting on his party’s defeat.
In articles published in The Indian Express and Marathi daily Loksatta, Fadnavis claimed Gandhi is crafting excuses for anticipated losses in upcoming polls, including Bihar’s.
On Saturday, Gandhi, in newspaper articles and X posts, alleged the Maharashtra elections were a “template for rigging democracy,” predicting similar “match-fixing” in Bihar.
He detailed a supposed scheme involving fake voter additions, inflated turnout, targeted bogus voting, and evidence concealment. The Election Commission dismissed these claims as “absurd,” condemning attempts to discredit it after an adverse outcome.
Fadnavis countered that Gandhi’s accusations insult the electorate’s verdict. “The people rejected Rahul Gandhi, so he’s rejecting their mandate in retaliation,” he wrote, urging the Congress leader to accept defeat and analyse his disconnect with voters. He accused Gandhi of preparing alibis for future electoral setbacks, particularly in Bihar.
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, secured a resounding victory in the 2024 Maharashtra polls, defeating the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP).
Fadnavis argued the election was less a contest between coalitions and more a rejection of Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan, which he claimed misrepresented itself as a unifying campaign while sowing distrust in constitutional bodies like the judiciary and Election Commission.
Fadnavis highlighted historical Election Commission appointments, noting that Congress governments directly selected Chief Election Commissioners until a new law under Prime Minister Narendra Modi included the opposition leader in the process. Of 26 commissioners, 25 were government appointees, he said, challenging Gandhi’s rigging allegations.
Addressing Gandhi’s claim of “bogus voters” inflating 2024 voter rolls, Fadnavis cited data: 1 crore new voters were added from 2004–2009, 75 lakh from 2009–2014, and 63 lakh from 2014–2019, indicating no anomaly in 2024’s increase. He noted voter turnout in assembly elections consistently exceeded Lok Sabha polls—5% more in 2004, 4% in 2009, 3% in 2014, 1% in 2019, and 4% in 2024—dismissing claims of unusual spikes.
Fadnavis ridiculed Gandhi’s assertion that turnout surged suspiciously after 5 PM, explaining that polling continues until 6 PM for queued voters. In the 2024 Lok Sabha’s second phase, turnout rose from 60.96% at 5 PM to 66.71% the next day, a 5.75% increase, which Gandhi ignored, Fadnavis said, implying selective criticism.
He debunked Gandhi’s claim that NDA wins correlated with last-minute turnout spikes, citing opposition victories in Madha (18% increase, Sharad Pawar’s candidate), Wani (13%, Uddhav Thackeray’s candidate), and Shrirampur (12%, Congress). “These examples expose the fallacy of Gandhi’s narrative,” Fadnavis wrote.
Reiterating that Gandhi’s attacks demean the democratic process, Fadnavis warned, “By insulting Maharashtra’s farmers, Ladki Bahin, and citizens, Gandhi risks alienating the state’s people, who will not forgive such disdain.” He urged Gandhi to reflect on internal party discontent, citing Congress MLAs’ complaints about access to him, and cautioned against spreading distrust in constitutional institutions.