Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday lauded the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) significant victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, claiming it marked the end of decades of political instability and betrayal, which he attributed to Sharad Pawar's actions in 1978.

Addressing a BJP convention in Shirdi, Shah stated, "The BJP's triumph in Maharashtra has put an end to the politics of betrayal and treachery initiated by Sharad Pawar in 1978. The people of Maharashtra have buried this style of politics 20 feet underground."

Sharad Pawar, who later founded the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), had exited the Vasantdada Patil-led government in 1978, taking 40 MLAs with him to form his own government as Chief Minister. Decades later, in 2023, his nephew Ajit Pawar caused a split within the NCP and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government, which also includes the BJP.

The BJP emerged as the largest party in the 2024 Maharashtra polls, securing 132 seats—its highest tally in the state's history. Shah credited the victory to "Hindutva and the politics of development championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Shah highlighted the political turmoil in the state over the years and credited the BJP with bringing stability. "From 1978 to 2024, Maharashtra has faced instability. But with this election, you have paved the way for a stable and strong government under Devendra Fadnavis," he said.

He also criticized former ally Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of betraying the BJP after the 2019 elections. "Thackeray abandoned Balasaheb's ideology and betrayed us. He became Chief Minister through treachery, but today, people have shown him his place," Shah added.

The BJP's alliance with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction and Ajit Pawar's NCP faction—the Mahayuti coalition—delivered a decisive victory, winning over 230 of the 288 Assembly seats. In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena faction, and Sharad Pawar's NCP faction, managed only 46 seats.

Shah asserted that this victory would have far-reaching political consequences and dealt a blow to the opposition bloc INDIA. "Our opponents were confident they would win after the Lok Sabha elections. But you all shattered their dreams," he said, addressing party workers whom he credited as the backbone of the BJP's success.

Shah concluded by urging BJP workers to strengthen the party further. "From panchayats to Parliament, you are the real architects of this victory. We must make the BJP so invincible that no one dares to betray it again," he said.