NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar urged the opposition not to lose hope after its defeat in the Maharashtra elections, stating that the BJP-led Mahayuti’s victory had failed to generate much public enthusiasm. He encouraged opposition leaders to reconnect with voters, emphasizing that visible discontent remained despite the ruling alliance's electoral success.
Reacting to Pawar's remarks, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticized him for allegedly misleading people. He advised Pawar to accept the defeat and encourage his party members to reflect on their performance. "Acceptance of defeat is the first step toward recovery. I expect you to guide your colleagues on introspection," Fadnavis posted on X.
Fadnavis highlighted election statistics, noting that the BJP received 1,49,13,914 votes and secured nine Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. In comparison, Congress polled 96,41,856 votes and won 13 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) got 73,77,674 votes and won seven seats, while NCP (SP) received 58,51,166 votes and secured eight seats.
Pawar stressed the need for the opposition to ensure the ruling alliance fulfills its election promises, including raising financial aid for women under the Ladki Bahin scheme from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100. He also expressed surprise at the gap between votes polled and seats won by various parties, pointing to underlying public dissatisfaction with the election results.