Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of Maharashtra said he would speak with deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis again just hours after the latter made an offer to step down from government service on Wednesday, the day after the state’s BJP was soundly defeated in the Lok Sabha elections.
What did Shinde Say?
“Failures must not discourage us and it is a temporary success to try to get votes by misleading the public,” Eknath Shinde said in a statement. “I’m going to talk to Devendraji shortly. We have collaborated in the past and will continue to do so in the future. Tricking the public to win votes is a short-term success. We are pursuing our development agenda. In the statement, Eknath Shinde added, “We have collectively failed to counter the false claims of the opposition.”
Eknath Shinde attacked the opposition, saying, “We are hurt by the false narrative that the constitution will change.” ‘Modi hatao’ was being yelled by the opposition. However, Indian voters prevented them from gaining control. “It is our joint responsibility to lose elections. In the elections, all three parties collaborated. Based on the vote share data, Mahayuti received over two lakh votes in Mumbai. The state’s leadership has made a lot of wise choices during the past two years. Votes have grown in this election despite a fall in seats, the statement continued.
What did Fadnavis Say?
Devendra Fadnavis had earlier on Wednesday stated that he will ask the high leadership of the BJP to release him from official duties so he could concentrate on the state assembly elections.He also shared that there are issues with Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of the National Congress Party, and Eknath Shinde’s collaboration. “I take full responsibility for the Maharashtra BJP’s defeat. I am responsible for the setback in Maharashtra since I erred in multiple areas. I’m asking my party’s leadership to relieve me of my government duties so I may focus on the next assembly elections and take care of the problems. At the Mumbai headquarters of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Fadnavis said at a press conference, “I will meet with my seniors and let them know what I expect of them.”
Fadnavis went on to add that he will confer with his superiors and do as instructed.
“There were some issues of coordination with chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, which we will meet and discuss soon,” he said.
Congress : Drama by Fadnavis
In reaction to the defeat of the BJP and its allies, Fadnavis offered to resign, but the Congress claimed that this was “drama”.
Spokesman for the state Congress, Atul Londhe, claims that Fadnavis is in charge of a “unconstitutional government” and has acknowledged in public that the two parties’ split made his comeback possible.
The BJP’s performance in the Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections
The Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), won thirty of the forty-eight Lok Sabha seats. 17 seats were gained by the Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra, which is made up of the BJP, the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), and the NCP (Ajit Pawar).
Thirteen seats were won by the Congress, nine by the UBT-affiliated Shiv Sena, and eight by the NCP led by Sharadchandra Pawar.
The Mahayuti party now has 17 seats after the BJP won nine, the Shiv Sena won seven, and the NCP won one.