Pune:
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule, who defeated her sister-in-law and NCP candidate Sunetra Pawar in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency thanked her supporters and said that voters had rejected the “repression” of the central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“I want to thank all those who supported me. This victory is of the voters and my party workers. This victory is their collective success,” Ms Sule said addressing a press conference on Thursday.
The four-time MP further said that elections were held amid challenges in Maharashtra such as drought, water scarcity, inflation, unemployment and corruption.
“It was a difficult year for us. This election was contested over farmers’ issues, water crises, unemployment and corruption….The voters have rejected income tax, CBI, and ED,” Ms Sule said.
She further said that she will start visiting drought-affected areas in Maharashtra.
“From tomorrow, we will begin visiting drought-affected areas in the state,” Ms Sule added.
She hoped to form the government in the centre and said that the numbers of the INDIA bloc are very encouraging.
“We are always hopeful (of forming the government) and the numbers are very encouraging,” she added.
NCP (SP) candidate Supriya Sule retained her Baramati Lok Sabha seat by more than 1.55 lakh votes.
Supriya Sule emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha polls from the Baramati seat defeating National Congress Party’s Sunetra Ajitdada Pawar. Sule polled 7,32,312 votes while Sunetra Pawar garnered 5,73,979 votes.
The counting of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was held on Tuesday. According to the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 240 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally of 303.
The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong growth, winning 99 seats. The INDIA bloc crossed the 230 mark, posing stiff competition, and defying all predictions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured a third term, but the BJP will need to rely on the support of other parties in his coalition – JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP’s chief Chandrababu Naidu.
BJP fell 32 seats short of the 272 majority mark after votes polled in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were counted. For the first time, since the Bharatiya Janata Party swept to power in 2014, it did not secure a majority on its own.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)