Sharad Pawar's poll predictions proved wrong in 2014 and 2019, future won't be exception: Maha CM Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said Nationalist Congress (NCP) president Sharad Pawar's predictions on the 2014 and 2019 poll results had proved wrong and the next elections will not be an exception. After the Karnataka Assembly election results last month, in which the Congress defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and returned to power, the NCP chief had said the poll results were an indication of the scenario after next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

On Wednesday, Pawar claimed in a press conference in Aurangabad that there is currently an ''anti-BJP'' wave and people of the country want a change considering the results of the Karnataka Assembly polls.

The Lok Sabha elections are due in 2024, and the Maharashtra Assembly polls are also due in the later part of next year.

CM Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis visited the site of the new airport coming up in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday morning and took stock of the ongoing work. Reacting to Pawar's criticism of the BJP, CM Shinde said, ''All his (poll) predictions have gone wrong and this has been seen in 2014 and 2019. Henceforth as well, all his predictions will prove wrong.''

Fadnavis said when more than 300 MPs were getting elected (from the ruling party), how could anyone say that PM Modi's popularity was decreasing. Meanwhile, talking about the Navi Mumbai airport, CM Shinde said the contractor planned to make the new facility functional in December 2024, but efforts were on to get the work completed before that and start the facility by May 2024. ''The airport will cater to around nine crore passengers every year and the state government will provide all possible assistance to speed up work on the project. The airport will cater to the needs of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) region, besides Pune and Goa,'' he said.