Election campaign for the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has begun, with rallies by senior leaders of the Mahayuti alliance. Today, a public meeting was held in Karad, where Union Minister Amit Shah addressed the crowd. In his speech, Shah launched a fierce attack on the leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), particularly former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and MP Sharad Pawar. Shah accused Sharad Pawar of spreading lies, claiming that even at his age, Pawar couldn’t refrain from falsehoods. He also demanded that Prithviraj Chavan account for the work done at the local level. "He will not give an account, but I am the son of a businessman, and I have accounts," Shah remarked. In response, Prithviraj Chavan fired back at Shah's criticism.
Chavan pointed out that Shah had visited Maharashtra for a rally in 2019 but failed to achieve success. He also mocked Shah's growing reputation, saying, "Some people now believe Amit Shah has a good reputation." Chavan then turned his attention to development, stating, "The earthquake research center, which cost 600 crores, didn’t fall from the sky; we brought it here." He further highlighted Maharashtra's current position, saying, "Today, Maharashtra ranks 11th in per capita income in the country. Amit Shah is responsible for this; he established this government. Maharashtra now lags behind other states. This is why the state faces high unemployment. All industries have been moved to Gujarat by Shah."
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Chavan continued his criticism, questioning the decisions made during the tenure of the current leadership: "Who moved Mumbai's International Finance Center to Gandhinagar? The then Chief Minister of Maharashtra sat with his eyes covered. People are pushing for bullet train projects to elevate Gujarat, and its debt is now being carried by Maharashtra. Who asked for this bullet train? Amit Shah should answer this question." Chavan also took aim at MP Udayanraje Bhosale, accusing him of disrespecting the people of Maharashtra. "You have seated those who took money from the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This is an insult to the people of Maharashtra. You should be praising those responsible and asking them to vote for you," Chavan concluded.