Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has expressed strong confidence in the MahaYuti alliance’s prospects in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Speaking to the media following the announcement of the election schedule, Shinde stated that the outcomes of the alliance's welfare schemes would be reflected in the election results.
The Election Commission of India has scheduled the Maharashtra assembly elections for a single phase on November 20, with vote counting to take place on November 23. The announcement was made by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
The upcoming election will see a contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition—comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and the Congress—and the MahaYuti alliance, which includes the BJP, the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).
Chief Minister Shinde expressed confidence in the work done by the Maha Yuti alliance over the past two and a half years, stating, “Voting will be held in Maharashtra on 20th November, and that day will decide the fate of the state. The works done by Mahayuti in the last 2.5 years are before the people to see. Maharashtra is heading towards progress. The state is number one in all services and welfare schemes.”
He further added, “The results of these efforts will be seen in the elections. The work of the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the state government will be assessed. The Maha Yuti alliance will form the government with an absolute majority.”
Addressing the opposition’s claims about the reliability of the Election Commission and electronic voting machines (EVMs), Shinde criticised their approach. He remarked, “When the Opposition wins, they praise the EVMs, the Election Commission, and the courts.
But when the results aren’t in their favour, they criticise the EVMs. The people of Maharashtra recognise the hypocrisy of the Opposition. We approach elections with confidence, energy, and a focus on development.”
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had urged the Election Commission to ensure the impartiality of the election process, cautioning against any misuse of EVMs or postal ballots.
Raut expressed concerns that these mechanisms could be tampered with and placed the responsibility on the Election Commission to conduct the elections fairly.
“We appeal to the EC not to let the Maharashtra election become like the Haryana election. Whether it’s EVMs or postal ballots, everything could be misused. Money might come into play.
If the Election Commission sees itself as unbiased–though we don’t–they will have to address these issues… EVMs are not foolproof,” Raut stated.
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