Fadnavis questions timing of Sharad Pawar’s poll claim

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday questioned the timing of NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar’s claim that two persons had met him in New Delhi ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections and “guaranteed” the opposition’s victory in 160 of the 288 constituencies. “Why is Pawar making this disclosure after Rahul Gandhi’s claims? Earlier, Pawar had never supported Gandhi’s claims about (manipulation of) EVMs,” Fadnavis told reporters here. Whatever may be the case, India has free and fair elections… Gandhi tells stories that sound like a Salim-Javed script and what Pawar has said also sounds like a similar script.” Sharad Pawar on Saturday claimed that two persons had met him in New Delhi ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections and “guaranteed” the opposition’s victory in 160 out of 288 constituencies. Addressing reporters in Gapur, Pawar said he introduced the two persons to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. The NCP (SP) chief said, “I introduced them to Rahul Gandhi. He (Gandhi) ignored what the two persons said. He also believed that we (the opposition) should not get involved in such matters and should go directly to the public.” Sharad Pawar has made this disclosure at a time when Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP and the Election Commission of “vote theft”. Meanwhile, Fadnavis criticised Rahul Gandhi for not complying with the Election Commission’s demand to file an affidavit regarding his allegations of “large-scale criminal fraud” in the elections. “If the court asks you (Gandhi) to file an affidavit, will you say that I have taken oath under the Constitution?” the chief minister said. “Why doesn’t Gandhi file an affidavit in a quasi-judicial matter? … because he is lying and if caught, he will face criminal prosecution,” Fadnavis claimed.