Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the BJP’s victory in the Haryana assembly elections has dismantled the "fake narrative" created by its rivals during the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. Speaking to reporters at Nagpur airport, Fadnavis pointed out that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies—Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP)—who once claimed unity, are now showing signs of discord and taking jabs at each other.
Fadnavis also confirmed that the seat-sharing talks within the Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP group, are nearing their final stage. Elections for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are expected to take place next month. The BJP retained power in Haryana with its best-ever performance of 48 seats, overcoming anti-incumbency, and stopping Congress' attempt at a comeback in the state. Congress secured 37 seats in the assembly elections, results of which were declared on Tuesday.
When asked about remarks made by Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders regarding Congress after the Haryana results, Fadnavis declined to comment, labeling it an internal matter. However, he added, "The Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP) were waiting to criticize the BJP if we had lost in Haryana. But they didn’t get that chance and have now understood the country’s sentiment."
He humorously remarked that the opposition, once united in their stance, now seem to be questioning their own alliances, asking, "Who are you?" Regarding the Haryana election’s influence on Maharashtra’s upcoming assembly polls, Fadnavis said the result shattered the opposition's "fake narrative" from the Lok Sabha elections, showing that the public stands with the BJP. On seat-sharing arrangements within the Mahayuti alliance, Fadnavis added that talks are almost finalized, stating, "We’ve solved 80% of the issues, and the remaining 20% will be resolved shortly."