Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nirmala Nawale finally broke her silence on Wednesday after losing the Panchayat Samiti election.
Nawale, who is a social media influencer and former sarpanch, lost the Panchayat Samiti election from the Karegaon-Kanhur Mesai constituency in Pune district on Monday.
She was defeated by BJP candidate Manisha Satish Pachange by a margin of 300 votes.
Known for her strong presence on social media (583K followers), Nawale enjoys a massive following. Several of her reels and videos have gone viral in the past, earning her popularity beyond her native village.
Despite her popularity, Nawale was unable to convert her online influence into electoral success in the Panchayat Samiti polls.
In the video she posted on Instagram, Nawale said, "Money and bogus voting won in the election, while people lost... but my fight will continue." She also alleged that money and drugs were used in the election.
"My defeat by 300 votes was unexpected, but I am deeply indebted to the 6,577 voters who showed faith in me. Today, it feels bad that this election was won by 'money' and 'drugs' rather than development issues. Votes can be bought with the power of money, but not loyalty. Seeing the young generation of my village addicted to drugs is sadder than any defeat. Politics may be bad, but my determination to work for the people has not ended," said Nawale.
She added, "Today, I feel bad that the voters of my constituency have been sold for money. 30 to 40 youth from my village have become addicted to drugs. Today, the criteria have been set as to which candidate gives the most money will win. Money is distributed to win. That is why the situation has come to be that if you want to enter politics, people think you have to earn money first. That is what has happened. Today, I remember those words of Ajit Dada (Pawar); he said politics is very bad."
