Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 Highlights: Sharad Pawar warns opponents, urges voters to defeat Ajit faction

Andhra Pradesh Health Minister and BJP leader Satya Kumar Yadav on Sunday accused Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of making false claims about the Congress government fulfilling its election promises.

Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai, Yadav alleged that Reddy was spreading misinformation while campaigning for the Maha Vikas Aghadi ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections. "Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is lying about the Congress government fulfilling poll promises. The Reddy government has been enumerating beneficiaries (of schemes) for the last year," Yadav claimed.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday explained his decision to part ways with NCP founder and uncle Sharad Pawar, stating that the party’s MLAs wanted to join the Eknath Shinde government to address stalled development projects.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs joined the Shinde government. As a result, the Election Commission granted him the party name and the ‘clock’ symbol, while the faction led by Sharad Pawar retained the name NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) with the ‘man blowing tutari’ symbol.

Campaigning in Baramati, the Deputy CM said, "You might be thinking that I shouldn't have left Pawar saheb at this age. I didn't leave saheb. I told him it is the opinion of all MLAs that we must join the (Shinde) government as multiple development works we approved (under the Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation) were put on hold. The MLAs even signed (in support of the government joining proposal)."

Seeking support, Ajit Pawar reminded the gathering that they had backed Sharad Pawar and his daughter, sitting MP Supriya Sule, during the Lok Sabha elections.

BJP leader Navneet Rana has alleged that workers of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) disrupted her election rally by raising religious slogans and creating chaos. Speaking about the incident, she said, "I was addressing the public meeting very peacefully. People started hooting and raising religious slogans... I urged everyone to stay calm and explained that our only aim is to ensure a smooth and peaceful conduct of elections in Maharashtra... The differently-abled people in the meeting would have been the most affected had there been any kind of nuisance."

Rana further alleged that the violence was orchestrated by the local taluka president of the Shiv Sena (UBT), stating, "It all started at 5 pm when the party workers started setting up the stage after taking all necessary permissions... Taluka president of Uddhav Thackeray's party lives in the village, and it was all done by his people... If they give us one, they will get two in return, in the same language that they understand."

The BJP has called for a probe into the incident.

BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut held a roadshow in Nagpur on Sunday in support of BJP candidate Pravin Datke, ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections.

Ranaut was campaigning for Datke, who is contesting from the Nagpur Central assembly constituency.

The roadshow began in the Bengali Panja area, with plans for another one in the Nagpur West constituency.

Datke, a member of the state legislative council, is also the former chief of the BJP's city unit.

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar's bags were checked by election officials at the Baramati helipad in Maharashtra's Pune district on Sunday morning, according to his associate. Pawar was on his way to attend a rally in Solapur for the upcoming assembly elections.

The model code of conduct is in effect in the state for the November 20 elections. "While Pawar saheb was en route to his rally in Karmala, Solapur, his bags were checked at the Baramati helipad. After the routine inspection, he boarded the helicopter and continued his journey," the associate said.

Earlier, on Saturday, election officials had checked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's bag in Amravati district, where he was attending a poll rally.

A ruckus broke out during a public rally held by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Navneet Rana at Khallar village in Amravati's Daryapur constituency, the police reported on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday night when Navneet Rana visited Khallar to campaign for Ramesh Bundile, who is contesting the Daryapur Assembly seat on the BJP ticket. Around 10 PM, as Rana was addressing the crowd, chairs were reportedly thrown at her.

According to Navneet Rana, while delivering her speech, some individuals in the audience began hooting. After she concluded her speech and stepped off the stage, chairs were thrown at her, and slogans were raised against her.

In response to the incident, Navneet Rana lodged a complaint with the police. A case has been registered, and authorities have launched an investigation into the matter.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has questioned whether Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' call for a "dharma-yudh of votes" aligns with the Election Commission's model code of conduct.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Dombivli, Thane, ahead of the November 20 state assembly elections, Thackeray referred to a directive he received earlier this year to remove the slogans "Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji" from his party's election anthem before the Lok Sabha polls. He had refused to comply at the time.

"Devendra Fadnavis has given a call for "dharma-yudh of votes. I am asking the Election Commission, does dharma-yudh fit in with your model code of conduct?" the former chief minister said.

Fadnavis had made the "dharma-yudh of votes" remark during a rally in Pune on Friday, where he responded to an alleged call for "vote-Jihad" against the Mahayuti government by an Islamic scholar.