NAGPUR, Aug 9 — Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar claimed on Saturday that before the Maharashtra Assembly elections, two individuals approached him promising victory in 160 out of 288 seats. Addressing reporters in Nagpur, he said he later introduced them to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, but both leaders rejected the proposal, stating it was not in line with their principles.
Pawar recounted that the meeting took place in Delhi before the polls were declared. While the visitors assured him of a large number of seats, he said he did not doubt the Election Commission’s integrity but chose to disregard the offer. Rahul Gandhi, too, dismissed the idea, agreeing they should instead focus on earning public support.
He praised Gandhi’s recent presentation on alleged voting irregularities and criticised the Election Commission of India for demanding a separate affidavit from him. Pawar argued that since Gandhi had already sworn an oath in Parliament, the extra requirement was unnecessary. He insisted the allegations deserved thorough investigation and that the Election Commission, not BJP leaders, should respond.
Commenting on INDIA bloc’s Delhi meeting, Pawar dismissed controversy over Uddhav Thackeray’s seating position, joking it was like avoiding the front row in a cinema for better viewing.
Later, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accused the Opposition of misleading the public. He said elections in India were among the most transparent globally and claimed Opposition leaders avoided affidavits to escape legal consequences if their allegations proved false.