Fadnavis hits out Rahul Gandhi Over Maharashtra Poll Claims: 'Chip From His Brain Is Missing'

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis strongly responded to Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s recent claim that the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections were "stolen." While speaking to reporters near Panaji on Thursday, Fadnavis dismissed the allegations and made a sharp comment directed at Gandhi, saying, “I think the chip from Rahul Gandhi’s brain has been stolen.”

The BJP leader was reacting to Rahul Gandhi's statement made earlier in the day in New Delhi. Gandhi alleged that the election process in Maharashtra was unfair and that the results were manipulated in favour of the BJP-led alliance. Fadnavis, who was in Goa to attend an event as the chief guest, said Gandhi’s comments had no connection to reality.

Fadnavis Mocks Rahul Gandhi’s Remarks

When asked about Gandhi’s claim regarding voter fraud, Fadnavis did not hold back. “Maybe he should get his brain checked. Either the chip in his brain is missing or it has been removed,” he said. Fadnavis added that Gandhi often makes baseless statements and this was yet another example of that.

The Maharashtra CM said such comments show a lack of understanding of the democratic process. He questioned how someone could call an entire election fraudulent just because the results didn’t go in their favour.

Rahul Gandhi Raises Concerns Over Voter Data

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi spoke to the media at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi. He accused the Election Commission of helping the BJP by not providing a machine-readable voter list. According to him, this decision raised serious doubts about the fairness of the election. Gandhi said that the lack of transparency confirmed the Congress party’s suspicion that the election was manipulated. He claimed that the Election Commission was not acting independently and had instead worked in favour of the ruling BJP.

BJP-Led Alliance Won Maha Elections with Huge Margin

In the Maharashtra Assembly elections held in November 2024, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance won a clear majority. Out of 288 seats, the alliance secured 230, with the BJP alone winning 132 seats. This made the BJP the largest party in the state assembly.

Its alliance partners, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, also did well, winning 57 and 41 seats respectively. In contrast, the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) saw one of its worst electoral performances in recent years.

The Congress party managed to win only 16 seats, while Sharad Pawar’s NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) secured 10. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) won just 20 seats. The overall result was a big win for the BJP and its allies, giving them a strong position in the Maharashtra assembly.

Despite the serious claims made by Rahul Gandhi, the Election Commission has not responded publicly. The BJP has continued to defend its win, saying it reflects the people’s choice. Fadnavis also stated that the results show public trust in the work done by the Mahayuti alliance and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.