Mumbai:

Several candidates emerged victorious in the Maharashtra assembly polls by wafer-thin margins, including an AIMIM candidate in Malgaon Central by 162 votes and Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole by 208 votes from Sakoli.

All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) sitting MLA Mufti Mohammad Ismail Abdul Khalique defeated Asif Shaikh Rasheed of the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra by 162 votes in Malegaon Central seat in Nashik district.

Patole defeated BJP’s Avinash Brahmankar by 208 votes in Sakoli in Bhandara district.

The BJP’s Manda Mhatre won from Belapur in Navi Mumbai by a margin of 377 votes, while Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Gaikwad won from Buldhana by 841 votes.

In Karjat-Jamkhed, sitting NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar retained his seat by 1,243 votes, while state minister and NCP candidate Dilip Walse Patil won from Ambegaon constituency with a margin of 1,523 votes.

Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena candidate Tanaji Sawant won from Paranda constituency by 1,509 votes.

Maharashtra minister and BJP candidate Atul Save managed to win from Aurangabad East constituency by 2,161 votes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The opposition alliance suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the BJP-led ruling alliance in Maharashtra. But what could add insult to this injury is if the figures remain more or less the same till the last round of counting in all the seats as then no party in the Maha Vikas Aghadi or MVA – Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) – will be eligible for the post of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the newly elected Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

A party with 10 percent of the 288 seats or 29 seats can claim the post. However, all of the MVA parties are at the moment falling short of the mark, as per the legislative rules.

According to the latest Election Commission figures at 6pm, the Shiv Sena (UBT) won 13 seats and was leading in 7, Congress won 6 and was ahead in 9 while NCP (SP) bagged six seats and was leading in 4.

Even though the opposition alliance will achieve the required number if all their winning seats were added but the combined strength of parties is not considered for the post of the Leader of Opposition, as per the rules.

So, given the current circumstances, the 15th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly may function without the LoP, similar to the 16th Lok Sabha which did not have a Leader of Opposition. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Manipur, Nagaland and Sikkim also don’t have anyone in the post because of the lack of opposition parties with at least 10 percent seats.

The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP coalition appears to retain Maharashtra with their spectacular performance, posting a stunning comeback after the Lok Sabha debacle earlier this year.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance has either won or is leading in 231 of the 288 seats.

The BJP has so far won 67 seats and is leading in 66, the Shiv Sena has won 35 and is ahead in 22 seats, while the NCP has won 28 and is leading in 13 seats, as per the latest Election Commission figures.

The results have come as a setback for Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray as the assembly elections followed splits in their parties. The Bal Thackeray-founded Shiv Sena split in June 2022 after Eknath Shinde rebelled against the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray bringing down his government while Mr Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar walked away to join the ruling alliance in 2023.

Since then, the factions have been in a bitter battle for supremacy.

After the results, termed “historic” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several others in the BJP and its alliance partners, the buzzing question is who would be the Chief Minister.

Even as many are rooting for deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for the top post, both he and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have maintained that all parties will meet and decide who the leader will be.

New Delhi:

The ruling Mahayuti sailed past the majority mark – 145 – in early leads as counting began Saturday for the Maharashtra Assembly election. The alliance – fronted by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party factions led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar – was ahead in 175 seats by 9.33 am. The Maha Vikas Aghadi  – the Congress and the Sena and NCP groups led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar – is ahead in 81.

Within the Mahayuti, it is the BJP that is ahead; the saffron party is leading in 96 of the 149 seats it is contesting. The Shinde Sena is ahead in 49 of the 81 it is contesting and Ajit Pawar’s NCP 30 of 59.

Across the aisle in the MVA, the Congress is leading in 32 of the 101 seats it has entered, while Sharad Pawar’s NCP is ahead in 24 of 86 and the Thackeray Sena in 24 of 95.

Big Names

Outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy, Ajit Pawar, and Aaditya Thackeray, the son of ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, are among the many big names contesting this election.

Also in the spotlight is Zeeshan Siddiqui of the Ajit Pawar NCP faction; Mr Siddiqui is the son of ex-Maharashtra minister Baba Siddiqui, who was shot dead by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang last month.

Eknath Shinde faces Thackeray Sena leader Kedar Dighe – the nephew of his mentor, Anand Dighe – for Thane’s Kopri-Pachpakhadi seat. At 9.30 am Mr Shinde led by over 4,000 votes.

Ajit Pawar faces a Pawar vs Pawar battle against uncle Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew, Yugendra Pawar, in the family stronghold of Baramati. Mr Pawar is leading that contest, for now.

READ | Ajit Pawar Ahead Of Nephew Yugendra In Baramati Family Battle

Aaditya Thackeray is up against ex-Congress veteran Milind Deora, who jumped to the Shinde Sena faction. The two are contesting the Worli Assembly seat, where Thackeray junior is 500 votes ahead.

READ | “My Karmabhoomi“: Milind Deora On Worli Battle vs Aaditya Thackeray

Zeeshan Siddiqui – who declared he would carry on his father’s “roar” – faces Varun Sardesai, Uddhav Thackeray’s nephew, in Bandra (East). Initial trends for this seat have not yet been declared.

Voting for this election took place in a single phase on Wednesday.

The Maharashtra Assembly has 288 seats and the majority mark is 145.

What Exit Polls Said

The MVA had only been given a (very) slim chance of upsetting the in-power BJP-led alliance’s applecart in the final election of the year; only one of 11 exit polls studied by NDTV believed it can win. Three others were on the fence but even they tilted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party.

An average of those 11 exit polls gives the Mahayuti 155 seats and the MVA only 120, with smaller parties and independent candidates expected to get the remaining 13.

But a health warning: exit polls often get it wrong.

A majority of those exit polls predicted a big win for the Mahayuti.

READ | NDA Has Edge But 3 Exit Polls Predict Hung Assembly

Across the aisle, only one – Electoral Edge – expected the Congress’ alliance to win and, even then, by five seats only, with 20 seats from smaller parties and independents in play for the BJP.

However, Thackeray Sena MP Sanjay Raut has rubbished the predictions, pointing to incorrect previews of the Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir elections and insisting the MVA will win.

READ | Mahayuti vs MVA On “Fraud” Exit Polls As Maharashtra Awaits Result

“They said Congress would win Haryana but what happened? They said Modiji would get 400 seats in the Lok Sabha… but what happened there? You will see… we will win 160-165 seats,” he declared.

Voter Turnout

Polling on Wednesday saw a voter turnout of 65.1 per cent – the highest since the 63.4 per cent recorded for the 2004 and 2014 elections and the second highest since 71.5 per cent in 1995.

The increased voter turnout has been flagged by both alliances as ‘proof positive’ that their side will emerge triumphant when votes are counted, although conventional wisdom suggests high voter turnout is bad news for the incumbent party or candidate.

READ | 65.1% Voter Turnout Is 2nd Highest 1990s, Highest In A Decade

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis declared, “Increase in voting percentage means it is in favour of the current government… it means people are supporting the current government.”

Race For Chief Minister’s Post

Meanwhile, away from the ballot boxes there is jostling and shoving offstage as senior figures within each alliance bid to replace Mr Shinde as Chief Minister. And that race looks to have exposed cracks in each alliance, with each party talking up its candidates for the top post.

Claims by the Congress’ state unit chief, Nana Patole, that his party would emerge as the single-largest and therefore be in pole position to pick the Chief Minister have been contested by Mr Raut, who said the final decision will be taken after victory is confirmed and by all stakeholders.

READ | Who Will Be Chief Minister? NDA, MVA Ministers Stake Claim

In the Mahayuti, the Shinde Sena and the BJP appear to be at odds on the same issue, with the former batting for Mr Shinde to continue and the latter pitching Mr Fadnavis, who was the Chief Minister when the BJP and (then) undivided Sena were in power between 2014 and 2019.

And the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar has thrown its hat in the ring too, on the back of hopes it will emerge as the ‘kingmaker’, although the question of which side it will help crown was waved away.

What Happened In 2019?

The 2019 election resulted in a thumping win for the BJP and the undivided Sena; the saffron party won 105 seats (down 17 from 2014) and its ally 56 (down seven).

However, two long-time allies fell out, quite spectacularly, in the following days after they failed to agree a power-sharing deal. Mr Thackeray then led his Sena into a surprise alliance with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (then also undivided) to shut out a furious BJP.

Much to the surprise of many, the ruling tripartite alliance lasted for nearly three years despite the divergent political beliefs and ideologies of the Sena and the Congress-NCP.

Eventually, it was an internal rebellion led by Sena leader Eknath Shinde that ousted the MVA government. Mr Shinde led Sena lawmakers into a deal with the BJP, forcing Mr Thackeray to resign and allowing himself to be named as the new Chief Minister.

The NCP split a year later in a near-identical process that saw Ajit Pawar and lawmakers loyal to him joining the BJP-Shinde Sena, and he then became a Deputy Chief Minister.

Since then, Maharashtra politics has been roiled in controversy that extended to the Supreme Court, which heard petitions and cross-petitions on disqualification of MLAs and, in the build-up to this election, pleas on which Sena and NCP faction is the ‘real’ one.

With input from agencies

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New Delhi:

Counting of votes for the Maharashtra Assembly election – a straight fight between the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi – begins at 8 am, with a majority of the 11 exit polls studied by NDTV leaning heavily towards the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance.

The MVA – fronted by the Congress and the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar – has been given a (very) slim chance of upsetting the BJP’s applecart in the final major election of the year; only one exit poll believes it can win.

Three others are on the fence, although one has tilted towards the MVA and the other the Mahayuti, which includes the Sena and NCP groups led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

Voting for the Maharashtra Assembly’s 288 seats was held Wednesday in single phase. The majority mark is 145, and an average of the 11 exit polls gives the Mahayuti 155 seats.

The MVA is expected to get 120 seats and smaller parties and independent candidates 13.

But a health warning: exit polls often get it wrong.

Exit Poll Numbers

The nine exit polls that predict victory for the Mahayuti all expect it to be a dominant performance.

In fact, of those nine Axis-My India, Peoples Pulse, Poll Diary, and Today’s Chanakya have each given the BJP-led alliance a minimum of 175 seats. Chanakya Strategies, Matrize, and Times Now-JVC also expect victory for the BJP’s coalition, with at least 150 seats.

Across the aisle, only Electoral Edge expects the Congress’ alliance to win and, even then, by five seats only, with 20 seats from smaller parties and independents in play for the BJP.

READ | NDA Has Edge But 3 Of 11 Exit Polls Predict Hung Assembly

The Dainik Bhaskar, Lokshahi Marathi-Rudra, and P-Marq exit polls are on the fence, although the latter favours the Mahayuti with an upper prediction of 157 and the former the MVA with 150.

However, Thackeray Sena MP Sanjay Raut has rubbished the predictions, pointing to incorrect previews of the Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir elections and insisting the MVA will win.

READ | Mahayuti vs MVA On “Fraud” Exit Polls As Maharashtra Awaits Result

“They said Congress would win Haryana but what happened? They said Modiji would get 400 seats in the Lok Sabha… but what happened there? You will see… we will win 160-165 seats,” he declared.

Voter Turnout

Polling on Wednesday saw a voter turnout of 65.1 per cent – the highest since the 63.4 per cent recorded for the 2004 and 2014 elections and the second highest since 71.5 per cent in 1995.

The increased voter turnout has been flagged by both alliances as ‘proof positive’ that their side will emerge triumphant when votes are counted, although conventional wisdom suggests high voter turnout is bad news for the incumbent party or candidate.

READ | 65.1% Voter Turnout Is 2nd Highest 1990s, Highest In A Decade

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis declared, “Increase in voting percentage means it is in favour of the current government… it means people are supporting the current government.”

Race For Chief Minister’s Post

Meanwhile, away from the ballot boxes there is jostling and shoving offstage as senior figures within each alliance bid to replace Mr Shinde as Chief Minister. And that race looks to have exposed cracks in each alliance, with each party talking up its candidates for the top post.

Claims by the Congress’ state unit chief, Nana Patole, that his party would emerge as the single-largest and therefore be in pole position to pick the Chief Minister have been contested by Mr Raut, who said the final decision will be taken after victory is confirmed and by all stakeholders.

READ | Who Will Be Chief Minister? NDA, MVA Ministers Stake Claim

In the Mahayuti, the Shinde Sena and the BJP appear to be at odds on the same issue, with the former batting for Mr Shinde to continue and the latter pitching Mr Fadnavis, who was the Chief Minister when the BJP and (then) undivided Sena were in power between 2014 and 2019.

And the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar has thrown its hat in the ring too, on the back of hopes it will emerge as the ‘kingmaker’, although the question of which side it will help crown was waved away.

What Happened In 2019?

The 2019 election resulted in a thumping win for the BJP and the undivided Sena; the saffron party won 105 seats (down 17 from 2014) and its ally 56 (down seven).

However, two long-time allies fell out, quite spectacularly, in the following days after they failed to agree a power-sharing deal. Mr Thackeray then led his Sena into a surprise alliance with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (then also undivided) to shut out a furious BJP.

Much to the surprise of many, the ruling tripartite alliance lasted for nearly three years despite the divergent political beliefs and ideologies of the Sena and the Congress-NCP.

Eventually, it was an internal rebellion led by Sena leader Eknath Shinde that ousted the MVA government. Mr Shinde led Sena lawmakers into a deal with the BJP, forcing Mr Thackeray to resign and allowing himself to be named as the new Chief Minister.

The NCP split a year later in a near-identical process that saw Ajit Pawar and lawmakers loyal to him joining the BJP-Shinde Sena, and he then became a Deputy Chief Minister.

Since then, Maharashtra politics has been roiled in controversy that extended to the Supreme Court, which heard petitions and cross-petitions on disqualification of MLAs and, in the build-up to this election, pleas on which Sena and NCP faction is the ‘real’ one.

With input from agencies

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Mumbai/New Delhi:

The Mahayuti alliance is forecast to win the Maharashtra election by a huge margin against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) grouping, according to two new exit polls that came on Thursday, a day after voting ended in the most densely contested election in the state with factions of two major parties fighting.

The Mahayuti, or the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), is forecast to win 178-200 seats in the 288-seat assembly, according to an exit poll by Axis My India. The halfway mark is 145.

It predicted the MVA would win 82-102 seats, which is in line with most exit polls that came on Wednesday.

Another exit poll by Today’s Chanakya gave 175 seats to the NDA, and 100 to the MVA, an alliance comprising the Congress, and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s National Congress Party (NCP) factions.

Region wise, the Axis My India exit poll gave the NDA 24 seats in Konkan, 30 in Marathwada, 22 in Mumbai, 38 in North Maharashtra, 39 in Vidarbha, and 36 in West Maharashtra.

For the MVA, it predicted 13 in Konkan, 15 in Marathwada, 14 in Mumbai, 7 in North Maharashtra, 20 in Vidarbha, and 21 in West Maharashtra.

The turnout in Maharashtra was 66 per cent as per electronic voting machine (EVM) votes, up from 61.1 per cent in 2019, Election Commission officials said on Thursday.

“The official figures for each assembly constituency will depend on the count of postal ballots reported. The 66 per cent turnout figure refers specifically to the votes cast on electronic voting machines,” the Chief Electoral Officer said in a statement.

The increase, excluding postal ballots, highlighted the EC’s efforts to engage a broader electorate, the statement added.

Kolhapur led with 76.63 per cent, followed by 75.26 per cent in Gadchiroli, which has some Left-Wing Extremism affected pockets, while the lowest was in Mumbai island city at 52.07 per cent, and the metropolis’ suburban district at 55.95 per cent.

Mumbai:

Workers of Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party faction blocked NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal from entering the polling booth in Maharashtra’s Yevla constituency today. Mr Bhujbal is contesting the assembly election from this constituency in Nashik which is home to one of the biggest onion wholesale markets in India.

The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) workers are upset over Mr Bhujbal switching allegiance to the Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the NCP. The workers were also heard shouting how Mr Bhujbal was being allowed to enter the booth more than once.

While switching loyalty to the Mahayuti, Mr Bhujbal had denied claims in a book by journalist Rajdeep Sardesai that he made the move to duck an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation against him for alleged money laundering.

“I have worked in Yevla for 20 years and helped the place develop in water management and infrastructure. My caste and religion is only development. Even my party believes the same. The Opposition has failed to criticise me on my work, and so they talk about caste,” Mr Bhujbal told NDTV.

“Caste consolidation doesn’t work because people here have faith in the development I’ve brought. They don’t see my caste,” he added.

In July 2023, NCP leader Ajit Pawar and MLAs loyal to him broke away from the party and joined hands with the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena to become part of the Mahayuti government.

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said it was appalling to see senior leaders confessing to have joined the ruling party to evade investigation. “Such admissions only reinforce the belief that the BJP operates as a ‘washing machine’ where corrupt leaders enter and emerge spotless,” he said.

The voter turnout in Maharashtra was 45.5 per cent till 3 pm.

In the Mahayuti alliance, the BJP is contesting 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has fielded candidates in 59 constituencies.

From the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine, the Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (SP) 86 candidates.

New Delhi:
Polling to choose the next government of Maharashtra — the year’s last and most-watched contest — began this morning. In Jharkhand, the remaining 38 seats also went to polls. The counting of votes will take place on Saturday.

Here are top 10 points on this big story:

What are the issues during this unprecedented election in Maharashtra?

We are fighting this election as this combination for the second time now. The confidence of the State has increased, that it can defeat these tyrants, that it can fight them. Inflation, unemployment, no MSP to farmers, no education — these are the issues disturbing the people of the State. Businesses are being driven away to Gujarat. Maharashtra will fight against it all.

In many parts of the State, people speak of agricultural distress. But there is also a discussion on the impact of ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’, through which ₹1,500 assistance per person is given to eligible women in Maharashtra.

Majhi Ladki Bahin is being used as a blackmailing technique. What is being given by one hand is taken away by another. We will give more than ₹1,500, but it won’t be a bribe. What the MLAs of this government are doing is, they are telling the women that they cannot come for our meetings if they take money from them. That they will take back ₹3,000 if the women don’t vote for them. Our women are being treated like servants, like slaves. We will not let this happen.
Women tell me, they don’t want this kind of money. They instead want jobs for their sons and husbands. How far will we go with this kind of money, they ask me. In 2014, BJP had spoken against price rise. Now, they only deliver false promises.

How important is the farmers’ issue for your party? Earlier, the farmers’ bodies from across the country had given you a manifesto, seeking your support. What is your stand on that?

We have already promised that we will give ₹7,000 MSP for soybean. When I had become the CM, I had held only one session in Nagpur. The first job I did was to give a loan waiver to the farmers. Even then, I had given better MSP for cotton, for soybean. How did it reduce since my government? Where did the money go? In the MVA manifesto, we have addressed all these issues. We will give electricity in the day. We will ensure better crop insurance. Currently, the government is giving money, but the farmers hardly get anything. It is a joke, when farmers get ₹27, ₹45 by cheque. People don’t have the money for fees. We will give free education to all.

One criticism against you by the BJP is that ‘vote jihad’ helped you win during the Lok Sabha election.

What is the meaning of ‘vote jihad’? What the BJP does is ‘power jihad’. Is that okay? You sit with Mehbooba Mufti. That is okay. You sit with Nitish Kumar, with Chandrababu Naidu. That is okay. If you don’t want the votes, declare who has the right to vote in this country, and who doesn’t have the right to vote. The matter will end there. You have sat there (in power) for 10 years, and though I do not want it, you will continue to sit there for another five years. If you have the courage, change the Constitution. Say that these people have the right to vote and these people don’t.

Recently, PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah came to Mumbai and challenged you to make Rahul Gandhi say one nice thing about Balasaheb Thackeray and about Savarkar.

When they (the PM and Home Minister) come to Maharashtra, they know that they have to beg for votes in the name of Balasaheb Thackeray. Their rallies tell us that it is impossible for them to live in Maharashtra politics without taking the name of Balasaheb Thackeray. I want to say that during an MVA meeting, I saw how Rahul Gandhi bowed down in front of Balasaheb Thackeray’s memorial and paid respect. Now, let us speak of the issues. In 2014, what did I do that you broke the alliance with me? In 2019, what wrong had I done? I had asked you to keep your word, your promise. We consider Balasaheb Thackeray’s room as a temple. Amit Shah gave a promise in that room. And now he teaches us about love for Balasaheb Thackeray.

There is a call by the BJP saying ‘batoge toh katoge’ (divided we fall). What do you think about it?

Tell me the meaning of batoge to katoge. When I was the CM, I did not let Maharashtra burn, when Delhi was burning. Was it good or bad? I will not let anyone do batna or katna. This is my responsibility. I am the family head. Tell me one incident where anything wrong took place. This is a way of misleading people since they can’t give anything.

You have spoken about the PM visiting the former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud’s residence. Do you think it was wrong?

I am not so big that I can give advice to CJI Chandrachud. But had he been a lecturer, he would have been much better. There is a protocol which needs to be followed. It isn’t a coincidence that we didn’t get justice for the last two years. Why didn’t we get justice?

There are speculations that some leaders from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are in touch with you. Can we expect ghar wapasi for some?

Yes, many are still in touch. But I will not take them. Many realise that they have made a mistake, are willing to publicly apologise. But I have told them that others have already taken their place. I don’t want people with price tags.

The MVA hasn’t given a CM candidate despite your initial requests. Now, Sharad Pawar says that the CM position will be given to the party which gets the highest number of seats.

That time is gone. I believe, a face should have been given then. Now, we will decide together after the election. We will not let any Maharashtra drohi (traitor) come to power. I will support anyone who will be proposed for the CM position — Supriya Sule, Rajendra Shingne, Nilesh Lanke, Jitendra Awhad, anyone.

Published – November 17, 2024 01:53 am IST

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has hit out at Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar for comments critical of his wife, Amruta Fadnavis, accusing his political opponent of personal attacks because they know they cannot win next week’s Assembly election. He also declared the trolls ought to be ashamed of their actions and “drown in water” for derogatory comments against his wife.

Mr Fadnavis said his political opponents – referring to the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of the Congress and the Shiv Sena and NCP factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, respectively – were targeting his wife since they could find no fault in the ruling Mahayuti of the BJP and Sena and NCP groups led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy, Ajit Pawar.

“If a civilized person saw (comments) trolls made against my wife they would be embarrassed. I told my wife… we are in politics and have to be patient, and that truth can be troubled but not defeated,” Mr Fadnavis told news agency ANI.

“The way they behaved and made memes about my wife and wrote bad things about her… they should drown in water. If you want to fight, come and fight face-to-face. What is this kind of war you are fighting? But I am very patient… I understand their fight and I will defeat them,’ he vowed.

On Thursday Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar sparked controversy after remarks targeting Amruta Fadnavis; he dismissed the Deputy Chief Minister’s wife for making reels on Instagram.

“It can’t be that the responsibility of saving religion is ours, while the Deputy Chief Minister’s wife is making reels on Instagram. Everyone must save the religion together,” he said in Nagpur.

READ | Kanhaiya Kumar Instagram Remark Against Amruta Fadnavis Sparks Row

The comments were seen as a response to Mr Fadnavis’ recent appeal for a ‘dharamyuddh‘ to counter what he termed as ‘vote jihad’. Mr Kanhaiya’s jibe was swiftly condemned by the BJP, for whom spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called the comments an affront to Marathi women.

“Amruta Fadnavis’ insult is an insult to every Marathi woman,” he wrote on X.

Next week’s Maharashtra election – the last high-profile poll this year – will see the ruling MVA go up against the MVA, which has the upper hand after a strong show in the Lok Sabha election; the Congress-Sena-NCP alliance won 30 of the state’s 48 parliamentary constituencies.

The 2019 state election saw the BJP and (then undivided) Sena dominate, winning 161 of 288 seats only to falter at the final hurdle – power-sharing. Uddhav Thackeray then led the Sena into an alliance with the Congress and NCP, but less than three years into his term, Eknath Shinde led a civil war that broke the party in half and re-allied with the BJP to bring it back into power.

With input from agencies

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Mumbai:

Election officials’ routine checks of Uddhav Thackeray’s bags – in Yavatmal district Monday and Latur Tuesday afternoon, while the ex-Maharashtra Chief Minister campaigns for next week’s election – have sparked a row between his Shiv Sena faction and the rival group led by his successor, Eknath Shinde.

In a video shared online by news agency PTI this evening, Mr Thackeray can be heard grilling an election official waiting to search his luggage – a brown duffel – as he exits his helicopter. In a gruff tone the Sena (UBT) boss demands to know the officer’s name (Mahesh Shani) and see his ID card.

Mr Shani and his colleagues – all of whom appear nervous and overwhelmed, repeatedly bowing as Mr Thackeray addresses them – show the Sena leader their ID cards. He also demands to see their appointment letters and orders them to show them all the money in their pockets.

The exchange – which concludes with a perfunctory search of the bag by Mr Shani – also sees Mr Thackeray say sarcastically, “What do you want… I have no problem, don’t be shy (to the poll officers) … everyone’s names will appear on TV. You’ll be famous… no reason to be shy.”

VIDEO | Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s (@OfficeofUT) bag was checked in Ausa in Latur district earlier today. Uddhav Thackeray questioned the officials who checked the bags.

(Source: Third party)

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/aoclqRQDXI

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 12, 2024

“I don’t have any problem with you… the only thing that concerns me… no, I am not angry with you… we should not do other peoples’ jobs,” Mr Thackeray declares to the poll officers, underlining his party’s claim that the Election Commission does not search bags of leaders from the ruling party or alliance.

These, the Sena (UBT) has alleged, contain cash to buy votes.

The search in Latur today comes after a search in Yavatmal yesterday, after which Mr Thackeray’s aide, Sanjay Raut, demanded to know if the bags of bigwigs from the ruling alliance – including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah – were similarly checked when they were campaigning.

“Our luggage, helicopter, private jet, cars… everything is checked. They search our homes also… but we don’t have a problem if it is done impartially. But, where Eknath Shinde and (Deputy Chief Ministers) Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis are contesting, Rs 25 crores have already reached…”

READ | “Have You Searched D Fadnavis?” Sena vs Sena In Thackeray Bag Row

“… are helicopters and cars of Shinde, Fadnavis, Pawar, Modi and Shah also checked? Are there only clothes in their bags? Are (election) observers not able to see the money distribution going on…”

The Shinde Sena hit back swiftly; party spokesperson Krishna Hegde told NDTV Mr Raut has a “habit of making wild allegations” and pointed out Mr Shinde’s bags had, in fact, been checked. This was in Nashik, when the Chief Minister was campaigning for the April-June general election. “Shindeji did not make a fuss… didn’t create an uproar like the Uddhav Thackeray camp,” Mr Hegde declared.

The search of Mr Thackeray’s bag in Yavatmal was also filmed and shared by the Sena.

The 150-second video shows another official being grilled by Mr Thackeray, who asks him his name and then says, “I won’t stop you… you are following your responsibility. I am following mine.”

डॉ. बाबासाहेबांनी लिहिलेल्या संविधानात सगळ्यांना समान न्याय हे आम्ही मानतोच.पण यंत्रणांना हाताशी धरुन लोकशाहीला पायदळी तुडवून हुकुमत गाजविणाऱ्या दिल्लीश्वरांनी मात्र त्या संविधानाचा सगळ्याच पातळ्यांवर अवमान करायचा ठरवलं आहे.
आज उद्धवसाहेबांच्या सामानाची वणी येथे काही… pic.twitter.com/XyM53sKOsy

— ShivSena – शिवसेना Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (@ShivSenaUBT_) November 11, 2024

Mr Thackeray then declares to the officer – who says the senior leaders haven’t yet campaigned in the region – to make sure he inspects their bags when they do, and send him a video of the search.

The officer then briefly checks a brown duffle and a blue icebox.

After the row over Mr Thackeray’s bags being searched, EC sources told NDTV “strict” protocols were followed to check helicopters of political leaders during campaigning.

READ | “Routine”: Poll Panel Sources On Uddhav Thackeray Bag Check

Voting for Maharashtra’s 288 Assembly seats will be held on November 20, with results due three days later. Mr Thackeray’s Sena group is allied with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party against the BJP and the Sena and NCP factions led by Mr Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

With input from agencies

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