“When Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Behari Vajpayee won, no one doubted them. But this time there have been doubts over EVM functioning,” said NCP president Sharad Pawar. “The state is reeling under severe drought and we will continue to work to help farmers.” Parth Pawar, for whom Sharad Pawar is said to have given up his candidature, lost in Maval. In Mumbai, it was the second rout in a row for the Congress. Despite Mukesh Ambani’s endorsement, its South Mumbai candidate, Milind Deora, lost to the Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant. A relatively new BJP candidate in North-East Mumbai, Manoj Kotak, defeated the NCP’s Sanjay Dina Patil. “The vote is for PM Modi,” says BJP leader Madhav Bhandari. “Apart from schemes for the downtrodden and deprived class, people wanted a strong government for the defence and security of this country. People want a corruption-free government. Sonia Gandhi is the fourth richest candidate, but what is her occupation? Modi’s assets are all known. Even when our allies win as part of the NDA, it is because people have reposed their faith in Modi.”