In a dramatic turn of events in Maharashtra politics, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has offered to step down following his party’s poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The BJP, which Fadnavis leads in Maharashtra, saw its seat count plummet from 23 in 2019 to just 9 this year.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Fadnavis took full responsibility for the electoral setback. “This debacle that happened in Maharashtra, our seats have been reduced, the entire responsibility for this is mine. I accept this responsibility and will try to fulfill whatever is lacking. I am not a person who will run away. I am requesting the BJP high command to relieve me from the responsibility of the government so that I can work hard for the party in upcoming elections,” he said.
Reacting to Fadnavis’ proposition, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde emphasized collective responsibility within the MahaYuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP. “All MahaYuti partners were responsible for the alliance’s poll performance,” Shinde stated. He has reached out to Fadnavis and plans to discuss the matter further. According to sources, Shinde and Fadnavis are scheduled to travel to Delhi later in the day for discussions with the BJP high command.
Shinde is also expected to meet with his elected MPs in the afternoon before their joint trip to Delhi. This meeting comes at a crucial time as Maharashtra prepares for its upcoming state elections later this year.
In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the ruling MahaYuti alliance secured only 17 of Maharashtra’s 48 seats. Despite receiving a combined vote share of 43.60% (2.48 crore votes), they fell short compared to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance’s 43.91% (2.50 crore votes). Fadnavis noted that the difference amounted to just 2 lakh votes.
“We accept the mandate of the people for the Lok Sabha election in Maharashtra,” Fadnavis acknowledged in his poll performance report. He pointed out that the BJP’s vote share dropped by only 1.5% from the previous election. In Mumbai, however, the MahaYuti alliance received 26 lakh votes, surpassing the MVA’s 24 lakh votes.
In response to the election results, the NCP leaders are scheduled to hold a meeting at 5 pm to reflect on their performance.
