Mumbai: After the spectacular victory in Karnataka, the Congress and the NCP have expressed resolve to repeat the same magic in Maharashtra. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, said that the BJP hasn’t lost its vote base in Karnataka and termed the Opposition’s resolve to repeat similar performance in the state as ‘dreaming’. City BJP president Ashish Shelar trained guns at Uddhav Thackeray asking him whether his party will now seek ban on Bajrang Dal and the Kerala Story.
Congress leader Nana Patole reacts to party's win in Karnataka
State Congress President Nana Patole, while analysing the results, said that the Congress contested the elections on people’s issues while the BJP tried religious polarisations as usual. Moreover, people were also fed up with the corrupt government. “Condition of the double-engine government in Maharashtra is not very different and similar results would be repeated in Maharashtra,” he added.
“People are weary of politics in the name of religion and god. They are seeking development. People of Karnataka have defeated attempts to misguide people over these issues”, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said as the state Congress celebrated the party's victory in Karnataka.
What did Sharad Pawar say on Congress winning in Karnataka?
NCP Chief Sharad Pawar interpreted the Karnataka results as ‘people’s verdict against the autocratic regimen’ and said that a united MVA, along with other smaller allies would bring a similar picture in Maharashtra and that he would personally speak with the allies to move in that direction.
“Wherever I travelled in Maharashtra, I realised that the people have the same enthusiasm that was displayed during the last elections. This means people want a change. It would be possible if we could take even the smaller parties in Maharashtra along with us. I won’t take this decision alone. We all will have to come together and think about it,” Pawar said.
People’s verdict against Modi-Shah’s autocracy: Uddhav Thackeray
Uddhav Thackeray, who addressed a meeting of party MLAs at his residence Matoshree, termed the Karnataka results as, “people’s verdict against Modi-Shah’s autocracy,” and also appealed party workers to be prepared to throw out the BJP from Maharashtra just like the people of Karnataka.
Reactions from BJP leaders
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was one of the star campaigners of the BJP in Karnataka, said that though the party has lost around 40 seats compared to 2018, the vote base has eroded only by about 0.4% and the real reason for the Congress's victory was that they could gain all the 5% of votes that the JDS lost. “This is the reason why the Karnataka results are not going to affect the mood of voters nationally or in any state,” Fadnavis added.
City BJP Chief Ashish Shelar, who too was party's star campaigner in Karnataka, pointed out that none of the places where Shiv Sena (UBT) had campaigned have gone to the candidates for whom they had campaigned. He also criticised Uddhav Thackeray and asked whether Thackeray will now seek a ban on 'Kerala Story' or the Bajrang Dal.
