Congress Calls Maharashtra Results 'Inexplicable', Claims 'Level-Playing Field Disturbed' Under 'Conspiracy'

The party, however, hailed the JMM-Congress alliance victory in Jharkhand, stating that the people here had rejected the "politics of polarisation" prorogated by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Congress on Saturday described the Maharashtra Assembly election results as "absolutely strange, inexplicable, and beyond comprehension," claiming that the level-playing field was disturbed in a "targeted manner" as part of a "conspiracy".

The party, however, hailed the JMM-Congress alliance victory in Jharkhand, stating that the people here had rejected the "politics of polarisation" propagated by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The grand old party emphasised that it will continue to raise the issues of caste census, protection of the Constitution and Manipur, and economic disparities, along with pushing its agenda against the "Modani" scams. 

Jairam Ramesh Says Maharashtra Results 'Absolutely Strange': 'Will Definitely Analyse Them'

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters after the announcement f results, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh and chairman of the Media and Publicity Department Pawan Khera stated that the results were not only surprising for the party but for even those candidates who have won the polls.

Asserting that the party will definitely analyse the Jharkhand results, Jairam Ramesh said: "We can say that even those who won did not anticipate that this result would come". 

"The Maharashtra assembly poll result is surprising, inexplicable for us," he said, adding that this win was not a victory of development, as the BJP is believing it to be.

He noted that the farmers of Maharashtra were angry, and that the working class of the state was against the government. Ramesh added that the results in Maharashtra have turned out to be "completely opposite" despite BJP faring badly in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.

"We will definitely analyse the result that has come. But today we can say that even those who won did not anticipate that this result would come. We were assuming that we will get the mandate. The farmers of Maharashtra are angry, the working class of Maharashtra is against the government. And the atmosphere that was there in Maharashtra 4-5 months ago, the same atmosphere is there today too, we were assuming this and everyone accepted this," the Congress leader said.

Calling the results "absolutely strange" and alleging "conspiracy" behind the outcome, Ramesh added: "But the results that have come are completely opposite to this. But this does not mean that we will step back from our agenda... somewhere there is a conspiracy to defeat us... The result of Maharashtra is very strange, I cannot use any other word for it, it is absolutely strange".

He claimed that while the non-entities from the BJP emerged winners, prominent MVA leaders were made to lose the polls. "What some people say as micro-management was the manipulation at the ground level," the Congress leader remarked.

Jairam Ramesh further called on all Opposition parties to unite against the alleged manipulation in the electoral process, including the use of EVMs, which he said results in manipulated mandate.

Meanwhile, Pawan Khera, while replying to a question said: "In Jharkhand where the INDIA bloc got a level playing field it won". He claimed that the Congress and INDIA bloc wins wherever they get the level playing field.

Khera expressed surprise over the Maharashtra results, highlighting that the Lok Sabha election was also fought in the name of PM Modi and the BJP, but the NDA had lost in Maharashtra that time. 

Referring to the Dharavi Assembly segment, where the Congress candidate won by a margin of over 24,000 votes, Khera said: "They (the people of Dharavi) have given their verdict”, suggesting that the people had also rejected the tender given to Adani for the redevelopment of the place. 

The Congress leader stated that the party will follow the coalition dharma in Jharkhand.