Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Mumbai: As the ruling Maha Yuti (NDA) prepares for the Vidhan Sabha polls in Maharashtra post a shocker in the Lok Sabha elections, the leaders of the ruling alliance asked party leaders and office-bearers to counter the “fake narrative” of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A. bloc).
The Maha Yuti top leadership comprising Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar - at the state-level joint meeting of Maha Yuti office bearers at the Shanmukhananda Hall - asked party leaders and workers to hit the streets and take the plans and policies of the government to the people.
This was the first joint meeting of the office-bearers of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP aimed at enhancing the coordination at the ground level among the workers.
The trio of Shinde-Fadnavis-Pawar admitted that they were caught off guard because of the fake narrative of the opposition that the Constitution would be changed when the BJP-led NDA comes to power with 400-plus seats.
"Let's fight together and win together. We have to immediately counter any false narratives and ensure the opposition's intentions are thwarted", said Shinde, who is the chief leader of Shiv Sena.
"We have removed all restrictions and operate as a 24-hour government, engaging directly with the public rather than through Facebook Live", Shinde said in what was a criticism of the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA dispensation.
"Some of our voters went on holiday during the polling, assuming that the NDA would easily win more than 400 seats in the general elections", said Shinde.
“The real battle of Maha Yuti in the upcoming Assembly elections is not only with three parties (Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and the Congress) in Maha Vikas Aghadi but with the fourth party, which is ‘fake narrative'. We will inform people about the work which we have done", said Fadnavis, the architect of the alliance, who has in the past been the Chief Minister, as well as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
“Due to the false narrative being spread by the opposition, the Maha Yuti did not get the expected success in the Lok Sabha elections. The false narrative that the Constitution was going to be changed after the polls has hit us hard,” said Pawar. “But now this narrative of the opponents has been proved wrong. Now the voters know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi worked to give the Constitution a place of great respect,” added Pawar, the NCP President, who is a five-time Deputy Chief Minister and ex-Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
As of now, the ruling alliance has a strength of 200-plus MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and the Maha Yuti intends to maintain it and reverse the damage it suffered in the general elections.
Shinde also emphasised the government's commitment to women welfare, implementing inclusive schemes that benefit everyone regardless of caste or religion.
“Strict action would be taken against those obstructing these schemes,” he said.
The government has allocated nearly Rs 1 lakh crore for welfare schemes. "In two years, it has paid 15,000 crore rupees in compensation to farmers, relaxed NDRF rules, initiated crop insurance for one rupee, and provided Rs 12,000 annually to farmers. Additionally, Rs 50,000 crore has been allocated in the budget for electricity waivers and other schemes for farmers. The Maha Yuti government fulfilled the previous government's promise of a Rs 50,000 incentive to regular loan payers, addressing long-standing neglect of farmers", said Shinde.
Under the Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, two and a half crore women will receive Rs 1,500 per month, he said.