Hindutva played key role, counter-polarisation helped Mahayuti win in Maharashtra: CM Fadnavis

Pic/PTI

Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that Hindutva played an important role in the recent state assembly elections, and counter-polarisation helped the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance score a big win.

Fadnavis, who took oath as the CM for the third time on Thursday, in an interview to a news channel, stated that Hindutva and development are two sides of the same coin and described his party's Hindutva as a way of life, news agency PTI reported.

He also alleged that the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance had an agreement with people like Islamic scholar Sajjad Nomani, wherein it was agreed to withdraw cases of riots filed against Muslims since 2012.

During the election campaign, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath had raised the "Batenge toh katenge (divided we are destroyed)" slogan, which was followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Ek hain toh safe hain (united we are safe)" call.

While campaigning, Fadnavis had countered the purported appeal by Nomani for a "Vote jihad" against the Mahayuti government by making a pitch for "Dharma-yudh of votes".

In Friday's interview, Fadnavis said, "The voter turnout increased because the Congress tried to suppress Hindus. When you try to suppress someone, they rise strongly. Hindutva played an important role and counter-polarisation helped the Mahayuti alliance. Our development schemes and Hindutva worked. Hindutva and development are two sides of the same coin."

'PM Modi has shown what inclusive Hindutva is'

The voter turnout in this year's assembly polls was 66.05 per cent, up from the 61.1 per cent in the 2019 assembly election.

"BJP's Hindutva is a way of life and not related to religious rituals. Muslims have different religious rituals. One should not have a narrow-minded view of Hindutva," Fadnavis said, according to PTI.

Through his actions, PM Modi has shown what inclusive Hindutva is, he added.

"Those who used to be scared of going to temples over fear of losing Muslim votes, are now frequently visiting them," he said in an apparent dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, PTI reported.

Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Ajit Pawar also took oath on Thursday as Maharashtra Deputy CMs.

Speaking on the cabinet expansion, Fadnavis it will be done before December 16, when the winter session of the state legislature starts in Nagpur.

"There are three parties and each of them will be given their due respect. We are almost there. Discussions are on for portfolio allocation," he said, adding, "I will try to establish a dialogue with all political leaders which has stopped since 2019."

Fadnavis also said he has changed for the better since 2014.

The Mahayuti alliance won a whopping 230 assembly seats in Maharashtra, out of the total 288. The BJP won 132 seats, the Shiv Sena 57 and the NCP got 41 seats.

(With PTI inputs)