Ladki Bahin scheme, religious polarisation may have played role: Sharad Pawar

The Nationalist Congress Party NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said that the Ladki Bahin scheme womens participation in voting in large numbers and religious polarisation may have played a role in Mahayutis victory in Maharashtra assembly election 2024 reported the PTISharad Pawar said that the Maharashtra election result 2024 declared on Saturday are not on the expected lines but he would revitalise the partyResponding to a query on his retirement from active politics Sharad Pawar tersely said he and his party colleagues will decideSpeaking to reporters in Karad city in Satara district Sharad Pawar acknowledged that the NCP led by his nephew and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar secured more seats than the NCP Sharadchandra Pawar adding Everyone knows who founded the NCP according to the PTIThe Ladki Bahin scheme and religious polarisation played a role Womens participation in large numbers could be the reason for the Mahayuti sweep in Maharashtra We will study the reasons for the debacle and take necessary steps he saidSharad Pawar asserted that the NCP SP would go to people by reenergising the new leadershipResponding to a query on EVMs a day after Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut expressed doubts over the massive verdict in Mahayutis favour Pawar said he would speak about EVMs only if he has official data as per the PTISharad Pawar suffered the worstever defeat in his political career in Maharashtra polls with the NCP faction led by him winning only 10 seats in the 288member House while the Ajit Pawarled NCP bagged 41The Mahayuti scored a massive victory with the BJP winning 132 seats Shiv Sena led by Shinde 57 and NCP 41 In contrast the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi was restricted to 46 seatsPawar said the poll outcome he had witnessed in his public life was unprecedentedThe MVA coalition put in a lot of hard work but the desired results were not achieved even though people responded positively to MVA during campaigning the NCP SP chief added the news agency reported on SundayPawar said that the MVA was more confident after achieving success in Lok Sabha elections adding that more work needs to be doneWhen asked if he was jolted by the poll outcome Pawar said The poll results were declared yesterday Today I am in Karad Those who were demoralised would have sat at homeHe also said fielding his grandnephew Yugendra Pawar against Ajit Pawar on the home turf of Baramati wasnt a wrong decision as someone had to contest the electionsAjit Pawar defeated Yugendra by a margin of over 1 lakh votes to win the eighth term in BaramatiAjit Pawar and Yugendra Pawar cannot be compared We were aware of this fact Sharad Pawar added as per the PTIwith PTI inputs