Maharashtra Alliance Suffers Poll Setback Over Onion Export Ban

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar attributes the ruling BJP-led alliance's losses in onion-growing regions during the Lok Sabha polls to an export ban on the crop. The ruling alliance only won 17 out of 48 seats across the state, trailing behind the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi's 30 seats.

Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar addressed the ruling BJP-led alliance's losses in the Lok Sabha polls, specifically in onion-growing regions, attributing the defeats to an export ban on the crop.

Speaking at a public meeting in Nashik, Pawar acknowledged the electorate's frustration, stating that the ruling alliance, Mahayuti, fell short in addressing the export ban, leading to their poor performance in these regions.

The alliance secured only 17 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra, with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi taking 30 seats. A crash in international prices and steep export duties had previously impacted onion exports, with the ban lifted just days before polling.