Rahul's remarks on Maharashtra polls reckless, baseless: Shrikant Shinde

New Delhi: Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde on Monday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and accused him of making baseless claims about the Maharashtra elections out of frustration due to successive electoral defeats.

Gandhi, participating in the debate in the Lok Sabha, had claimed that about 70 lakh voters, equivalent to population of Himachal Pradesh, were added to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and state elections.

Having made the claim, he demanded the Election Commission furnish data to opposition parties in the state.

Shinde hit back at Gandhi, accusing him of trying to mislead the House by making baseless claims.

"This behaviour is unbecoming of the Leader of Opposition and reeks of political desperation. Shiv Sena firmly demands a public apology from Rahul Gandhi, not only to the people of Maharashtra but to the entire Nation, for his reckless remarks," Shinde said.

"He made a good beginning, but the manner in which he raised questions on the Maharashtra elections and the EC, he raises questions about the judiciary and the government... this was expected of the Leader of the Opposition after losing election," he said.

The Shiv Sena leader said that Gandhi's allegations were "nothing more than an attempt to undermine India's democratic integrity, simply to mask his party's repeated electoral failures." Shinde said Maharashtra witnessed its highest voter turnout in 30 years, a historic testament to the strength of our democracy, and full credit must go to the Election Commission for its "impeccable management" in ensuring a transparent and fair election.

"Rahul Gandhi's tantrums cannot override the will of the people. The crushing defeat of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the 2024 Assembly elections was not due to any external force but a result of their own arrogance, mismanagement, and ideological contradictions," the Lok Sabha member from Kalyan said.

Shinde said the people of Maharashtra rejected the "hollow leadership, lack of vision, and failed governance" of MVA.

"Instead of facing the truth, the Congress party was too preoccupied securing Priyanka Gandhi's seat in Wayanad, proving once again that for them, family comes before party, and party before the nation," he said.