Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis remains steadfast in his decision to resign following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) disappointing performance in the state during the recent Lok Sabha elections. Fadnavis conveyed his intent to senior BJP leader Amit Shah in a meeting held last night at Shah’s residence, sources reported.
During the discussion, Fadnavis emphasized the necessity to refocus efforts at the organizational level to address the electoral setbacks. Despite Fadnavis’ insistence on stepping down, no formal decision has been made regarding his resignation.
The Mahayuti coalition, comprising the BJP, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), faced significant losses in the state. The BJP secured only nine Lok Sabha seats, a sharp decline from the 22 seats won in the 2019 elections. The Shiv Sena won seven seats, and the NCP managed to secure just one seat. In contrast, the 2019 elections saw the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance winning 41 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra.
Two days ago, Fadnavis offered his resignation, but Chief Minister Eknath Shinde emphasized that the electoral defeat was a collective responsibility of the alliance. Shinde assured that he would discuss the matter with Fadnavis soon. “We have worked together in the past and we will keep on working in the future. Failures must not discourage us,” Shinde stated, highlighting the need to prepare for the upcoming assembly elections later this year.
Chief Minister Shinde acknowledged that the ruling coalition failed to effectively counter the opposition’s claims during the campaign. “The false narrative that the Constitution will be changed hurt us,” he said. He also noted that the Mahayuti garnered more than 200,000 votes in Mumbai despite the setbacks.
Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray’s faction of the Shiv Sena outperformed the Shinde faction by winning nine seats. Shinde, who had ousted Thackeray with support from most MLAs and MPs in 2022, admitted that a thorough review of the reasons behind the coalition’s defeat was necessary.
