Maharashtra polls: Sharad Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis indulge in rain drama
Pawar and Fadnavis campaigned in rain-soaked rallies, recalling past victories, emphasizing the importance of voting for change in upcoming elections.
PUNE: On Friday, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, and BJP leader and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed rallies drenched in rain, as they campaigned for Madan Karande in Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur district, and Satyajeet Deshmukh in Shirala, Sangli district, respectively.
It was a moment of déjà vu for Pawar from 2019, when just three days before the Maharashtra assembly polls, he stood under a sheet of rain while addressing a rally in Satara. He continued an impassioned speech, even refusing the offer of an umbrella. Pictures went viral on social media, and that moment in the rain changed the fortunes of Shriniwas Patil (of then undivided NCP) who defeated BJP’s Udayanraje Bhosale. The moment was repeated in November 2023, when a drenched Pawar spoke to party workers in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, after his nephew Ajit Pawar had split the party. “Our plans have been disrupted by today’s rain, but we are a people who do not easily surrender or back down,” he had said then.
Keeping up the spirit of those two occasions, Pawar embraced the moment on Friday, saying: “I have a special relationship with rain and public rallies. And whenever I address people in rain, the outcome of election is always favourable.”
“In this election, we must decide on whom power should be entrusted. Looking at the past performance of ruling parties, it is clear that there can be no change unless we take action. Therefore, it is crucial to vote for all Maha Vikas Aghadi candidates in order to bring about the change we need,” Pawar said on Friday.
Abasaheb Jagdale, a local NCP (SP) party worker, said, “Varun Raja (Hindu god of rain) always graces Pawar saheb. Like the Satara rally in the last election, this rally will deftly change the entire election and we will form the government.”
Around the same time in Shirala, Fadnavis, displaying resilience, spoke to a rain-drenched crowd, and was quick to point out, “I want to make an announcement here today: Satyajeet dada is going to win this seat. Do you know why? Because I’m addressing this rally in the rain.”
Referring to Pawar’s rain-soaked rally in 2019, Fadnavis added, “Whenever we hold rallies in the rain, the candidate ends up winning. It is a sign of good luck. Many leaders have claimed that after rain-soaked rallies, victory is certain. But here, I want to tell you this: Whether the rain comes or not, one thing is for sure—the ‘rain of votes’ will definitely come here.”