Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Sunday said the party will examine the rout in the state assembly elections, and ensure the newly elected Mahayuti coalition government fulfils the promises made in its election manifesto.
Patole said the results were unexpected for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and the people of Maharashtra, news agency PTI reported him as saying.
“People are discussing how the Mahayuti could manage such a big win. They are confused. We do not want to comment or talk about EVMs, and it is the need of the hour to find out how it all happened, and accordingly, the Congress take necessary steps,” said Patole during a press conference.
While the Mahayuti leaders credited the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme for its landslide victory, Patole challenged the ruling alliance to increase the monthly allowance for women from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100.
The state Congress chief also asked the Mahayuti government to immediately fulfil its promises of supplying farmers with 24-hour electricity, ₹6,000 MSP for soya beans, ₹9,000 for cotton, and a ₹1,000 bonus to paddy cultivators.
“We will ensure that the Mahayuti government fulfils the promises it made to farmers during the elections,” Patole asserted.
The Congress leader said the party would also ensure the government gives the jobs promised to the youth and makes Maharashtra corruption-free.
Narrow win for Patole
Nana Patole won the Sakoli assembly seat by a narrow margin of 208 votes. He defeated BJP candidate Avinash Anandrao Brahmankar, who secured 96,587 votes. Independent candidate Dr Somadatta Karanjekar and VBA candidate Dr Avinash Raghunath Nanhe secured 18,309 and 11,188 votes, respectively.
The Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, CM Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and deputy CM Ajit Pawar-led NCP, recorded a landslide victory, winning 230 out of 288 seats. The BJP bagged 132 seats, the Shiv Sena 57, and the NCP 41 seats.
The MVA, on the other hand, suffered a drubbing, managing just 46 seats together. The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) won 10 seats, Congress won 16, and Shiv Sena (UBT) got 20 seats.
(With PTI inputs)