Mumbai: A day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief joined the Opposition’s “vote theft” chorus, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday hit out at the Opposition leaders stating they need self-introspection and stop lying and insulting the people of Maharashtra. He also accused the opposition of making baseless claims to soothe their own supporters.“They are just trying to console their own hearts and were attempting to tell their workers that they were indeed winning, that there was a conspiracy in their defeat so that the workers don’t scatter. Until they stop lying and insulting people, they cannot win,” said Mr. Fadnavis responding to Mr. Thackeray’s remarks. The MNS chief, while speaking to his party workers in Pune, had voiced support for Rahul Gandhi’s controversial ‘vote chori’ allegations. He claimed that electoral fraud and ‘vote theft’ have been happening for the last 10 years, allowing governments to form through manipulation. He also referenced Gandhi’s accusation that the Election Commission of India (ECI) colluded with the ruling BJP. Mr. Thackeray advised his party’s members to carefully scrutinise voter lists for the upcoming municipal elections in Maharashtra. However, Mr. Fadnavis dismissed the allegations as ‘baseless.’ He said opposition leaders were simply trying to “console their own people” and reassure workers that their losses were due to fraud, not genuine voter rejection. “Until they stop lying to themselves, they cannot win,” he added. When asked about Mr. Thackeray’s claims, Mr. Fadnavis said that the MNS chief was merely trying to reassure and restore confidence among party workers, amidst rising discontent and discord within the party, over repeated poll defeats. The CM claimed a BJP MLA had exposed how the Congress itself engages in electoral fraud by getting family and associates to vote multiple times. The ECI had also challenged opposition parties to provide proof of fraud, but no one had succeeded, he added.
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