Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Opposition's propaganda, delay in announcing candidates cost some seats, says CM Shinde

CM Shinde while speaking to the press on Tuesday. Pic/Sameer Abedi

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday claimed that the opposition's propaganda that the BJP-led NDA would change the Constitution and the delay in announcing candidates cost the Shiv Sena and its allies some seats, reported the PTI.

Talking to reporters, CM Eknath Shinde said that the vote bank politics of the opposition had affected the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA's performance.

IN PHOTOS: Sharad Pawar meets party leaders in Mumbai

5 months agoPHOTO GALLERY

"The opposition parties ran relentless propaganda that we would change the Constitution. We failed to clear the doubts among voters. Our losses are also due to vote bank politics," he said, as per the PTI.

The chief ministers also attributed delays in announcing candidates in some seats to the setbacks in some constituencies.

CM Shinde was apparently referring to the Nashik Lok Sabha seat, where the Shiv Sena fielded Hemant Godse despite opposition from the BJP and NCP. Godse is trailing against the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde also changed his sitting MPs from the Hingoli and Yavatmal-Washim constituencies, and the party candidates are trailing in both seats.

"The vote bank politics also affected us. I want to tell them (the opposition) that people have never liked vote bank politics. Late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray never liked it," he said, according to the PTI.

CM Shinde has managed to clinch his stronghold Thane, where he fielded his close aide Naresh Mhaske.

"People voted for the work my government has done in the last two years and 10 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. People of Thane have stood with us for our work," he said.

PM Modi should concede defeat, people have rejected him, says Sanjay Raut

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should concede defeat as people have rejected his government, reported the PTI.

Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Sanjay Raut claimed that the BJP will get less than 240 seats in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

"We have stopped Narendra Modi in Maharashtra. Narendra Modi should concede defeat as people have rejected his government," the Sena (UBT) leader said, as per the PTI.

According to the latest Election Commission data, the BJP was leading in 233 seats and had won ten seats across the country.

The Congress-led INDIA bloc was leading in 200 seats in early trends, a performance that appeared much better than what was predicted in the exit polls.

(with PTI inputs)