Eknath Shinde to Rahul Gandhi: Take your repeated claims to EC

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 24 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday slammed Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his repeated allegations of "election rigging" in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, terming it as "unfortunate".

Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde suggested that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should approach the Election Commission or the courts, instead of "confusing people" with repeated allegations.

"Rahul Gandhi repeatedly makes such allegations... The Election Commission has summoned him. If he has any problem, he should go to the Election Commission or the court. It is wrong to make such allegations repeatedly. This is unfortunate. He did not make such allegations when Congress won in Karnataka or Telangana," Shinde told reporters.

He further said that the opposition bagged more seats during the Lok Sabha elections, and said, "Then everything was fine"

"During Lok Sabha elections, they (opposition) got more seats in Maharashtra, and even then, everything was fine... He should go to the Election Commission, go to court and not confuse people by spreading such fake narratives..."

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sharply rebutted Rahul Gandhi's accusation that the voter list in his constituency was manipulated, calling it a desperate claim stemming from Congress's defeat in the state.

Responding to Gandhi's post on X, Fadnavis wrote, "Jhoot boley kawa kaatey, Kaaley Kawaey se daryo... Rahul Gandhi, it's clear that the sting of your party's humiliating defeat in Maharashtra is growing deeper by the day."

He dismissed the claim of manipulation, citing multiple assembly segments across Maharashtra that saw similar or higher voter growth, yet were won by Congress or its allies.

"How long will you keep shooting arrows in the dark? For your information, there are over 25 assembly segments in Maharashtra where the number of voters increased by more than 8% between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, and in several of these, Congress won."

Fadnavis highlighted that over 25 assembly segments in Maharashtra recorded voter increases exceeding 8%, with Congress and its allies securing wins in several. He cited West Nagpur, with a 7% rise (27,065 voters), won by Congress's Vikas Thakre; North Nagpur, with a 7% increase (29,348 voters), won by Congress's Nitin Raut; Vadgaon Sheri in Pune, with a 10% jump (50,911 voters), won by Sharad Pawar faction's Bapu Pathare; Malad West, with an 11% surge (38,625 voters), won by Congress's Aslam Shaikh; and Mumbra, with a 9% increase (46,041 voters), won by Sharad Pawar faction's Jitendra Awhad.