Stop misleading people about EVMs, accept poll mandate: Shinde tells Oppn

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday hit out at the opposition, accusing it of misleading people about electronic voting machines and not accepting their mandate.

Talking to reporters, Shinde said the ruling Mahayuti alliance won the November 20 assembly polls because of its work, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi must accept the people’s mandate and support the government in development works.

The Mahayuti combine of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP swept the recently held polls, winning 230 out of 288 seats, while the opposition bloc of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) managed just 46 seats. The opposition parties have alleged irregularities with EVMs for its poll losses and demanded the use of ballot papers.

Slamming the opposition, the Shiv Sena chief said, “When you win, there is no EVM scam, but the machine becomes bad when you lose. This is not the right approach.” He said the opposition must accept the people’s mandate that they have been decisively defeated.

People have shown the opposition its place and proved that they don’t vote for those who sit at home, the deputy chief minister said.

“In the Lok Sabha elections, 2.48 crore votes went to the Mahayuti, which is 43.55 per cent. The MVA polled 2.5 crore votes, which was 43.71 per cent. Still, the opposition got 31 seats, and Mahayuti won 17. Should we say there was an EVM scam?” he asked.

Shinde said creating confusion about a democratically elected government was not good for democracy.

“People have given us the mandate for our work. Stop crying and accept the development work we have done. Accept the mandate,” he said.

He further questioned how members of the opposition parties who boycotted the oath-taking ceremony on Saturday to protest the EVM issue took oath as MLAs on Sunday.

“Does this mean they have abandoned the issue?” he said.

Shinde pointed out that the opposition won the assembly election in Jharkhand and the bypolls to the Nanded (Maharashtra) and Wayanad (Kerala) Lok Sabha seats.

He said while the Mahayuti polled 49.30 per cent votes, getting 3.18 crore votes, MVA received 2.35 crore votes, which is a difference of 1 crore votes.

There will be no illegal work and no injustice to anyone, he said.

The government functions as per the Constitution, Shinde said on reports of the Waqf Board sending notice to farmers in Latur.

Shinde’s statement about votes has come a day after NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said a comparison between votes polled and seats won by political parties in the Maharashtra assembly polls was surprising.

Taking to X, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said as a senior leader, Pawar shouldn’t mislead the country.

“You will come out of this if you accept defeat. I expect you to give your colleagues advice on introspection,” he stated in his post.