Mumbai, June 7 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday criticised Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his write-up in a daily in which he alleged that Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2024 were a blueprint for rigging democracy.

CM Fadnavis in his reaction said: “Rahul Gandhi has accepted his defeat in Bihar! As long as Rahul Gandhi keeps giving himself false assurances, his party can never win. By making such baseless remarks, Rahul Gandhi has insulted the voters of Maharashtra, and for this, I strongly condemn him.”

On the other hand, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora also targeted Rahul Gandhi. He said: “Blaming the Election Commission or EVMs months after losing reeks of sour grapes. Instead of peddling conspiracy theories, the Opposition should take a long, hard look in the mirror. After all, a bad carpenter always blames his tools.”

Earlier, Congress in-charge (Maharashtra) Ramesh Chennithala claimed that the state’s democracy was not defeated but it was butchered.

Strongly defending Rahul Gandhi’s observations in his write-up, he said that with irrefutable facts and unflinching clarity the leader of opposition has exposed a chilling truth. “The mandate of the people in Maharashtra was hijacked — not by the will of the voters, but through manipulation, deceit, and a systematic assault on democratic institutions,” he alleged.

“Rahul Gandhi’s powerful expose is not merely an article — it is a wake-up call. It exposes how Maharashtra, once a proud torchbearer of democratic values, has become a cautionary tale of how institutions can be compromised, how power can be snatched instead of earned, and how silence can become complicity. This is no longer about one state or one election. It is about the soul of our democracy,” said Chennithala.

“We urge the Election Commission to break its silence. The people of Maharashtra — and of India — deserve answers.We call upon every citizen to stay vigilant, stay informed, and stay united. For if we allow such subversion to go unchecked, we may soon lose not just elections — but the very freedoms that define us,” he added.

Further, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshwardhan Sapkal said that Rahul Gandhi’s article sparked a political earthquake and asked why there is no probe into Maharashtra Assembly election fixing.

“Why are BJP leaders Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis answering questions meant for the Election Commission? Why is the Commission silent? The ‘Maharashtra Pattern’ of vote tampering is a conspiracy to be used in Bihar, Mumbai civic polls, and upcoming local body elections,” he alleged.

He announced that the Congress would hold torchlight protests across Maharashtra on June 12.

–IANS

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