Thiruvananthapuram, June 7 (IANS) Congress’ Maharashtra in-charge — veteran party leader Ramesh Chennithala, on Saturday said that there is no more ruthless way to assassinate democracy than what happened there during the 2024 Assembly polls, and asked people to be cautious.
“When I assumed charge of Maharashtra in early 2024, the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi defied the Modi wave in the Lok Sabha elections. The people of Maharashtra stood tall against propaganda and pressure, delivering a decisive verdict that sent the BJP alliance reeling. The BJP’s loss in Maharashtra, along with its poor performance in Uttar Pradesh, was pivotal in preventing it from securing an absolute majority at the national level,” said Chennithala, a former Kerala Home Minister.
He went on to point out that and merely six months later, in the Assembly elections, that same Maha Vikas Aghadi — which was poised to win over 170 seats — was reduced to just 50.
“Is it believable that this staggering turnaround was due to governance or public sentiment? Even the most loyal BJP supporter would hesitate to make such a claim. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself could not sway Maharashtra, are we to believe that Eknath Shinde whose politics is marred by betrayal and unprincipled opportunism could command such a wave?” wondered Chennithala.
“This was not a coincidence. It was a calculated and premeditated operation to distort the electoral mandate. Democracy in Maharashtra was not defeated it was subverted,” he said.
He further pointed out that in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra had 89.8 million registered voters. By the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, this number rose naturally to 92.9 million, a five-year increase of 3.1 million.
However, within just five months, during the 2024 Assembly elections, the voter count inexplicably jumped to 97 million, a sudden spike of 4.1 million in less than half a year.
“This figure defies logic. Even the official estimate of adult population in Maharashtra stands at 95.4 million. On polling day, the initial turnout reported was 58.22 per cent. With no reports of long queues or late-night voting, it should have remained roughly constant. Instead, by the next morning, the turnout had miraculously jumped to 66.05 per cent , an overnight addition of over 7.6 million votes, predominantly favouring BJP candidates,” alleged 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 loose not just elections but the very freedom that define us,” said Chennithala.
–IANS
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