MUMBAI: “Our victory today, which won us the votes from even the opposition party legislators, is just the beginning. We are now confident that the people of Maharashtra will take this victory to its logical end in the coming assembly election by voting the Mahayuti government back to power,” said chief minister Eknath Shinde while addressing a press conference soon after the monsoon session of the state legislature ended today.
Shinde said that in the last two years, the government has taken several innovative and effective decisions towards the development and welfare of every section of society, including farmers, women, youth, and elderly people. “I congratulate all my colleagues, mainly DCM Fadnavis and DCM Pawar, and all legislators, including those from outside parties who voted for our candidates in today’s council election, thus helping us win all 9 seats.” According to Shinde, the council election has shown people the real face of Mahavikas Aghadi.
“Narratives were being spread against us after the recent Lok Sabha elections. Today’s victory has taken the air out of the opposition’s balloon and is just a trailer ahead of the coming assembly elections. People will vote for a progressive government, especially in favor of our schemes such as Ladki Bahin, Annapurna, power bill waiver, three gas cylinders, and apprenticeship to 10 lakh youths,” Shinde said.
Shinde said it is visible now that people are happy with our performance, especially over our people-oriented decisions that are unforgettable as they were never taken before. “Now, we feel we were right when two years ago we dislodged the attempt to keep Balasaheb’s ideology away from power by joining hands with the BJP,” he added, recalling the large-scale defection by Sena legislators under him.
“Our hard work over the last two years has virtually taken the wicket of the opposition, with legislators from outside parties also supporting our candidates today in the council election,” he said, terming it a great surprise and a boost for his government and the ruling parties. “People don’t want a government to be run from home or Facebook live. People will take Mahayuti candidates to the assembly yet again in the coming elections,” he added.
To a query over Palghar, Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis quipped, “It’s a march to Varsha now and not Palghar.” While addressing the media along with the CM, Fadnavis said it was a sense of pride and happiness that all 9 candidates of Mahayuti won their elections as we had not just secured all votes from our legislators but also from the opposition members.
“We are happy that all our candidates, who work hard at the grassroots, have won the elections and won the faith of a larger section of legislators as well. We are confident that in the coming assembly election, we will come back to power under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Fadnavis said, pointing out that it was Mahayuti’s Sadabhau Khot who fetched opposition votes to win the council election.