Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has delivered a sharp critique of the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) election strategy, accusing it of weaving a “fake narrative” during the Lok Sabha elections. Speaking at an event in Nagpur to honor the late RSS leader Vilas Fadnavis, the Chief Minister attributed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) decisive Assembly election victory to the strategic and disciplined efforts of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliate organisations, collectively referred to as the RSS Vichar Pariwar.
Fadnavis underscored the pivotal role of the RSS in rallying nationalistic forces to combat what he described as “anarchist elements” in Maharashtra’s political landscape.
“In the Maharashtra elections, we requested the RSS Vichar Pariwar that national forces need to come together against the anarchist forces,” Fadnavis stated. He explained that this call to action mobilised individuals across various sectors associated with the RSS, all of whom worked tirelessly within their respective domains to counter disinformation and political destabilisation propagated by the MVA.
“People from various sectors of the RSS Vichar Pariwar played their roles in their respective fields only to fight against anarchy. Due to this, we were able to end the fake narrative, and the results of the Assembly elections were different from the Lok Sabha,” Fadnavis asserted, signaling a deliberate and targeted approach to dismantling opposition strategies.
The Chief Minister’s remarks highlight the meticulous groundwork laid by the RSS, extending from grassroots mobilisation to influencing broader political discourse. The Sangh’s efforts, according to Fadnavis, played a decisive role in uniting voters under the banner of national interest, effectively countering divisive and misleading campaigns.
Fadnavis did not hold back in his critique of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, accusing it of engineering a deceptive narrative that temporarily swayed public sentiment during the Lok Sabha elections.
“The Maha Vikas Aghadi succeeded in creating a fake narrative in the Lok Sabha elections. Due to this, they got overconfident that they could come to power by instilling such a narrative,” Fadnavis remarked. He went on to acknowledge that this misrepresentation caught the BJP off guard, leading to an unexpected dip in its performance during the parliamentary polls.
Admitting to a degree of overconfidence within the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections, Fadnavis stated, “We thought that we were winning. Therefore, we underestimated the opposition’s talk of changing the constitution and other such narratives. We assumed that ‘vote jihad’ would not have an impact, but unfortunately, we saw its effect.”
The Assembly elections, however, marked a turning point. By leveraging the organisational strength and ideological clarity of the RSS, the BJP effectively countered the MVA’s propaganda. Fadnavis credited the RSS Vichar Pariwar for working diligently to expose the opposition’s tactics, ultimately securing a decisive victory for the BJP.
The Chief Minister highlighted how the RSS’s network and its unwavering focus on national interest provided a stark contrast to the MVA’s alleged divisive strategies. “The RSS doesn’t merely engage in politics; it engages in ‘Rashtrakaran’—working in the national interest,” Fadnavis stated, emphasising the Sangh’s broader vision.
Fadnavis’s comments also shed light on the unexpected praise of the RSS by NCP chief Sharad Pawar. According to Fadnavis, Pawar’s remarks reflect a recognition of the Sangh’s ability to dismantle opposition narratives and maintain a committed base of workers.
“Sharad Pawar Saheb is very smart. He must have studied how such a big atmosphere that we had created got punctured in a minute. He must have realised that these people are not only doing politics, but they are also doing ‘Rashtrakaran,’” Fadnavis said, suggesting that Pawar’s praise might also serve as a veiled acknowledgment of the opposition’s shortcomings.
