TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale on Monday attacked the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over reports suggesting a potential “tweak” in the Ladki Bahin scheme, which had been credited with the resounding victory of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the state Assembly elections.

Referring to a news report in a post on X, Gokhale remarked, “It’s not even been 2 days since the Maharashtra results, and the BJP-led alliance is already preparing to break its manifesto promise.”

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale on Monday attacked the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over reports suggesting a potential “tweak” in the Ladki Bahin scheme, which had been credited with the resounding victory of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the state Assembly elections.

Shortly after the Assembly election results were declared, the Maharashtra government is now finding it untenable to sustain the promised Rs 2,100 monthly payout under the Ladki Bahin scheme.

“This is ‘Modi ki Guarantee’ — float a ‘jumla’ during elections to deceive the people, and then plan to break the promise even before forming the government,” Gokhale alleged in his post.

However, the report does not indicate that bureaucrats are considering completely scrapping the scheme.

The scheme is projected to cost the upcoming government approximately Rs 33,000 crore between July 2024 and March 2025.

In the West Bengal Assembly bypolls, the TMC secured victory in all six seats that went to polls. The party’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, congratulated the winning candidates in a social media post and expressed gratitude to party workers for their dedication and hard work.

Pune: A viral video on the internet showed witty scenes of fun banter between Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister & NCP chief Ajit Pawar and his nephew Rohit Pawar, who was recently elected as the MLA of the Karjat-Jamkhed constituency.

During a program in Karad recently, Ajit Pawar and Rohit came face to face. The NCP chief humorously remarked to Rohit that if he had conducted a campaign rally there, the results would’ve been something else. Rohit, who touched Ajit Pawar’s feet during their meeting, was congratulated on his victory. Ajit jokingly added, “You were lucky this time.”

Rohit Clinches Karjat-Jamkhed Seat By Narrow Margin

Sharad Pawar’s grandson and Ajit Pawar’s nephew, Rohit Pawar, narrowly secured victory In the Karjat-Jamkhed constituency in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections.

Rohit Pawar won the seat by a slim margin of 1,243 votes, defeating BJP’s Ram Shinde. Rohit received 1,27,676 votes, while Shinde secured 1,26,433. An independent candidate, Rohit Chandrakant, garnered 3,489 votes. The election saw a close contest, with reports during the final counting rounds initially suggesting Rohit might lose. However, a recount confirmed his win. A total of 11 candidates contested from this seat.

Power Shift In Karjat-Jamkhed After Pawar’s Entry

Historically, the Karjat-Jamkhed constituency has been a BJP stronghold. Before Rohit’s victory in 2019, the BJP dominated this seat for five consecutive terms. Sadasiv Lokhande won thrice in 1995, 2000 and 2005, while Ram Shinde triumphed in 2009 and 2014. However, Rohit Pawar’s entry in 2019 dismantled this long-standing dominance, marking a shift in political influence in the region.

Rohit, a third-generation politician, comes from a family deeply rooted in politics. He is the grandson of Dinkarrao Govindrao Pawar, elder brother of NCP Chief Sharad Pawar. His opponent, Ram Shinde, is a seasoned politician who previously served as a Member of the Legislative Council and Maharashtra’s Water Conservation Minister. Shinde represented this seat in 2009 and 2014, further cementing his political experience.

Mumbai: Nana Patole has reportedly submitted his resignation as Maharashtra Congress President following the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) massive defeat in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections. The ruling Mahayuti coalition achieved a landslide victory, securing 235 seats with 49.6% of the vote share, leaving the MVA trailing far behind with just 49 seats and 35.3% of the votes.

Reports indicated that Nana Patole attempted to meet Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Monday to discuss his resignation but could not do so. The party high command has yet to accept his resignation. However, some reports also claim that Patole hasn’t taken the decision to step down. There are no confirmed statements from the Maharashtra Congress chief or his party to verify either of the claims.

Congress Suffers Massive Blow In Maharashtra

The Congress faced a crushing blow in Maharashtra, winning just 16 of the 103 seats it contested. Patole, who contested from the Sakoli seat, managed to retain his position but by the narrowest margin of his political career—a mere 208 votes. This narrow victory contrasts sharply with his performance in the 2019 Assembly elections, where he won the same seat by a comfortable margin of nearly 8,000 votes. This year, his win ranks among the top three closest contests in the state.

Opposition Shocked Over Mahayuti’s Tsunami-Like Win

While Congress struggled, the BJP emerged as the dominant force, winning 132 seats. However, opposition leaders have raised concerns about the results, with accusations of potential EVM manipulation. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed disbelief over the Mahayuti’s ‘tsunami-like’ win, questioning how the political landscape could shift so drastically within just four months.

Thackeray pointed out the MVA’s surprising performance in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, where it delivered a strong blow to the BJP. He remarked, “I can’t believe Maharashtra, the same state that stood by me during the challenging times of COVID-19, would behave this way. We need to understand how this outcome occurred.”

The elections for the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly were held in a single phase on November 20. With the BJP solidifying its hold and the MVA grappling with its poor performance, the results reflect a major shift in the state’s political dynamics.