Shirdi, Jan 12: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said veteran politician Sharad Pawar played politics of betrayal and treachery in Maharashtra from 1978, which was ended by BJP's massive victory in the assembly polls with its resolve to establish a stable government.

Addressing a state BJP convention in Shirdi, Shah said the people of Maharashtra showed Pawar, who heads NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray their place by rejecting the politics of dynasty and betrayal in last year's elections.

Citing differences between Congress and allies in Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, and Maharashtra, Shah said the decline of the opposition INDI block has begun.

"Sharad Pawar started politics of 'daga-phatka' (betrayal and treachery) in Maharashtra in 1978, which was rejected by people in 2024 (elections). Similarly, the politics of the dynasty and the betrayal of Uddhav Thackeray was also rejected. People showed Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray their place in 2024 polls," Shah said.

Noting that the BJP's victory in Maharashtra will have long-term consequences, Shah said the historic win shattered the INDI alliance's confidence.

He said the BJP will win the Delhi assembly elections next month hands down.

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The BJP-led NDA has decided to boycott the Erode East bypoll scheduled for February 5 and would focus on dethroning the ruling DMK in the hustings next year, the saffron party's state unit said on Sunday.

The BJP's announcement virtually makes the election a no-contest as the main opposition AIADMK and the DMDK have already announced boycotting the byelections necessitated by the death of Congress MLA EVKS Elangovan. The DMK has nominated VC Chandrakumar on behalf of its-led bloc, which also has the Congress in the alliance.

BJP TN chief K Annamalai said the upcoming elections were a “byelection for a byelection”, following the bypoll held here in 2022. He recalled there were accusations of the ruling DMK then "confining" people at designated places.

The NDA faced the DMK violating poll rules due to the "arrogance" of being the ruling party.

"The coming 2026 Assembly polls are one meant to remove the DMK (from the ruling saddle), and the NDA is moving towards that target and does not want to allow the DMK to confine people like cattle once again," he said in a statement.

"All leaders of the NDA who wish for people's welfare, after detailed consultation, have decided to boycott the Erode East bypoll. Our target is to remove the DMK in the 2026 elections and give the NDA's good governance to people," Annamalai said.

The state has been pushed to a "dark period" with no safety for various sections of society and the DMK government was an "anti-people" one where law and order has also failed, the former IPS officer alleged.

NDA constituents in the state include Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).

Incidentally, the AIADMK that was a part of the NDA in 2022 had fielded its nominee in that year's bypoll to Erode East seat but lost to Congress' Elangovan, who faced the elections following the death of his son and local MLA E Thirumahan Everaa.