Mumbai: BJP’s newfound friend in the Lok Sabha elections, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, questioned the election results two months after the Maharashtra Assembly election results were declared. He also raised doubts about how Ajit Pawar, who had only one MP elected in the Lok Sabha polls, managed to secure 42 MLAs in the Assembly elections. “How did public opinion change so drastically within just four months after the Lok Sabha elections?” he asked.
While addressing his party workers on Thursday, Thackeray said, “A person had come to meet me who was associated with the RSS. It was evident from his face that he was not convinced by the election results. He told me, “Itna sannata kyun hai bhai? Koi to jeeta hoga”. He further added, “Whenever someone wins, there is usually celebration. But after the election results in Maharashtra, such silence had never been witnessed before. What kind of example does this result set? There are some things that I simply cannot believe.”
In the Lok Sabha elections, Congress won 13 seats in the state, while Sharad Pawar’s faction secured eight seats. Typically, for every MP, around six MLAs get elected. Yet, despite Sharad Pawar’s faction having eight MPs, they ended up with only 10 MLAs. Ajit Pawar, with just one MP, managed to get 42 MLAs elected. This is something that requires investigation, he said. “If elections are going to be conducted in this manner, it’s better not to contest them at all,” Thackeray remarked.
Thackeray mentioned that people do not like it when he meets BJP leaders. “Many people tell me not to meet BJP leaders. Not to meet them? If someone says they are coming home for tea, what am I supposed to say?”
Reacting to Thackeray's statement, minister Ashish Shelar said that the MNS chief is trying to set a narrative. He also stated that the BJP has never engaged in compromise politics.
NCP spokesperson Anand Paranjape said that MNS contested 128 seats but did not win a single one. He added that Thackeray should first focus on his own party.
