Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday hit back at Rahul Gandhi over the Congress MP's recent allegations about discrepancies in the Maharashtra assembly elections, saying "when the same joke is told again and again, you don't laugh at it."
"When the same joke is told again and again, you don't laugh at it," Fadnavis wrote. Fadnavis described Gandhi's claims as "baseless" and part of a "narrative" being cooked up ahead of the February 8 Delhi elections, which most exit polls suggest the Congress is set to lose.
Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, had alleged irregularities in the voter registration process during the Maharashtra assembly elections last year.
The Congress leader questioned the validity of the new voters, saying the total number of voters added during this period was more than the entire constituency of Himachal Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi further said that the Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP (SCP) alliance found several irregularities in the elections.
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"In 5 years between Assembly elections 2019 and Lok Sabha, 2024 - 32 lakh voters were added. However, in 5 months between Lok Sabha 2024, in which these parties (Congress, NCP-SCP, Shiv Sena (UBT)) won and Assembly elections - 39 lakh voters were added. The question is who are these 39 lakh voters? This is equal to the total voters of Himachal Pradesh. The second issue is why does Maharashtra have more voters than the entire voter population of the state? ... Somehow, voters have suddenly been created in Maharashtra,"
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected Rahul Gandhi's allegations, saying that Congress leaders do not introspect.
"The Election Commission has given a clear answer to all the questions. Rahul Gandhi is using cover fire because he knows that his party will be nowhere in Delhi after the Delhi election results on February 8 and so, he is practising what he will say on that day, how he will create a new story.