Hindutva, counter-polarisation helped Mahayuti in Maha polls: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that Hindutva played an important role in the recent state assembly elections, and counter-polarisation helped the Mahayuti alliance score a big win.

Fadnavis, who took oath as Maharashtra chief minister for the third time on Thursday, said in an interview to ABP news channel that Hindutva and development are two sides of the same coin and described Bharatiya Janata Party's  Hindutva as a way of life.

He also alleged that the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance had an agreement with people like (Islamic scholar) Sajjad Nomani, wherein it was agreed to withdraw cases of riots filed against Muslims since 2012.

During the election campaign, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had raised the batenge toh katenge (divided we are destroyed) slogan, which was followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ek hain toh safe hain (united we are safe) call.

While campaigning, Fadnavis had countered the purported appeal by Nomani for a "vote-jihad" against the Mahayuti government by making a pitch for dharma-yudh of votes.

In the interview, Fadnavis said, "The voter turnout increased because Congress tried to suppress Hindus. When you try to suppress someone, they rise strongly. Hindutva played an important role and counter-polarisation helped the Mahayuti alliance. Our development schemes and Hindutva worked. Hindutva and development are two sides of the same coin."

The voter turnout in this year's assembly polls was 66.05 percent, up from 61.1 percent in 2019.

"BJP's Hindutva is a way of life and not related to religious rituals. Muslims have different religious rituals. One should not have a narrow-minded view of Hindutva," Fadnavis said.

Through his actions, PM Modi has shown what inclusive Hindutva is, he added.

"Those who used to be scared of going to temples for fear of losing Muslim votes, are now frequently visiting them," he said in an apparent dig at Congress Rahul Gandhi.

Apart from Fadnavis as CM, Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde and Nationalist Congress Party president Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy chief ministers of the state.

On the cabinet expansion, Fadnavis said it be done before December 16, when the winter session of the state legislature starts in Nagpur.

"There are three parties and each of them will be given their due respect. We are almost there. Discussions are on for portfolio allocation," he said.

"I will try to establish a dialogue with all political leaders which has stopped since 2019," he said.

Fadnavis said he has changed for the better since 2014.

The Mahayuti alliance won a whopping 230 assembly seats in Maharashtra, out of the total 288. The BJP won 132 seats, the Shiv Sena 57 and the NCP got 41 seats.