Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the five per cent increase in voter turnout in the assembly elections almost entirely came to the BJP-led coalition as it was a reaction to the divisive politics and fake narratives practised by the opposition MVA, leading to its overwhelming victory.

Speaking at the India Economic Conclave organised by TimesNow, Fadnavis said the performance of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of the Congress, Sharad Pawar’s NCP and Shiv Sena-UBT had reached its peak in the Lok Sabha elections when they had garnered 43.9 per cent of the total votes cast.

He said the difference between the MVA and BJP-led MahaYuti was just 0.3 per cent.

"They (MVA) had already peaked. They had achieved their best through divisive politics, appeasement politics and fake narrative. This increase in votes was a reaction to that. It came to us," Fadnavis said.

The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP MahaYuti coalition won 235 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly elections, decimating the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi to 46 seats.

The MahaYuti was successful in overturning the poll reverses it had faced in the Lok Sabha elections in May when the opposition alliance had won 31 of the 48 seats in the state.

"People felt Modi ji has been wronged. This five per cent vote surge almost entirely came to the BJP. In a state like Maharashtra, if there is a five per cent increase in vote, it leads to an overwhelming (chhapar phad) victory," he said.

Maharashtra had registered 61.5 per cent turnout in the Lok Sabha elections. The assembly elections in November saw a record turnout of 66.11 per cent.

Fadnavis said the work of nationalist organizations to counter “anarchist narrative”, reaction to the ‘vote jihad’ call in favour of opposition MVA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of safety in unity contributed to the BJP-led coalition’s landslide victory in the assembly elections.

The opposition MVA had reached their peak performance in the Lok Sabha elections and the MahaYuti succeeded in countering their fake narratives during the assembly polls, he added.

Fadnavis said the BJP managed to secure a landslide victory in Maharashtra as it was successful in countering the "fake narrative" spread by the Opposition during the Lok Sabha elections.

"Fake narrative was not created by a single party. Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra created a fake narrative in the minds of people. We reached out to nationalist forces and urged them to counter them," he added.

Fadnavis hit out at former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, claiming that he was emerging as the leader of ultra-leftist and anarchist forces who are trying to destabilise the country’s march towards progress.

"Congress was not anarchist. But repeated electoral defeats have led to the entry of far left forces in the Congress. Look at Rahul Gandhi’s core team. Their thought process is ultraleft," the senior BJP leader said.

Fadnavis said his call for 'dharma yuddha of votes' during the election campaign was a counter to the opposition MVA’s support to the Ulema Board’s demands to scrap cases filed against the Muslims for rioting and arson and the call to ban the RSS.

He said All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Sajjad Nomani also issued a video appeal calling for ‘vote jihad’ in favour of the MVA.

“When such things are said there is bound to be a reaction. If someone calls for vote jihad, do you expect us to keep quiet,” Fadnavis countered.

He said the call for ‘dharma yuddha of votes’ had a positive connotation as it meant a righteous battle.

"Our Prime Minister gave the message that the opposition was trying to divide the society and we are safe if we are united (ek hai toh safe hai). And this mantra worked," Fadnavis said.