Pandharpur, Nov 2 (PTI) No matter how many protest marches the Opposition hold, the people of Maharashtra will back the ruling Mahayuti in the upcoming local body polls, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Sunday.
His comment came a day after the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena held their 'Satyacha Morcha' in south Mumbai against the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in the voters' list.
Shinde said the Mahayuti will get people's votes based on its work and development agenda.
Talking to reporters after performing 'Kartiki Ekadashi' puja at the famous Vitthal temple in Pandharpur, Shinde said that the Mahayuti government has stood by farmers who suffered large-scale losses due to rains in the last few months.
The government announced a relief package of nearly Rs 32,000 crore, and disbursed the sum during Diwali, he said.
Shinde said the decision on farm loan waiver will be taken by June 30, 2026, after a committee appointed to look into the matter gives its recommendations by the first week of April.
"People give importance to work, and our agenda is clear. Our agenda is development, which is why we secured a landslide victory in the state assembly elections. No matter how many marches or protests the opposition holds, it will not affect our victory," he asserted.
"People will back us in the local body polls based on our work and development," he added.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), along with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), held a protest march in Mumbai on Saturday against alleged irregularities in the voters' list, which the Opposition has been claiming were helping the ruling BJP.
The Opposition accused the EC of turning a blind eye to voters' list irregularities, such as multiple entries, wrongful deletions, and additions.
It asserted that local body polls in Maharashtra should be held only after these shortcomings are rectified.
The Supreme Court has directed the Maharashtra State Election Commission to conduct the local body polls in the state by January 31, 2026. PTI PR ARU BNM