Shinde blames low voter turnout for NDA’s poor performance in Maharashtra

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday blamed loyal voters who went on a holiday during polling believing the NDA was going to win over 400 seats for the NDA’s rout in the recent Lok Sabha polls in the state. He also said the Opposition, on the other hand, managed to consolidate its supporting voters. Addressing a joint rally of Mahayuti allies in Mumbai, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis backed Shinde’s claims, saying NDA leaders did not pay enough attention to the “lies” spread by the Opposition during the poll campaign. The rally was attended by leaders of the Shiv Sena, BJP, NCP headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and other smaller constituents. In the state, which sends 48 members to the Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA won only 17 seats, while the MVA alliance of Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT) won 30 constituencies. Shinde said, “Some of our voters went on a holiday during voting as they thought the NDA would easily win more than 400 seats in the general elections. This defeat underlines the need for a more strategic approach in future.