Days after announcing his intention to resign, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has reversed his decision, declaring that he is not going to “run away.” This shift comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged him to continue serving in the Maharashtra government.
Speaking to reporters following a BJP legislators’ meeting on Friday, Devendra Fadnavis, a former Chief Minister, reflected on the recent electoral losses. “I can see happiness on everyone’s faces, PM Narendra Modi’s name is ringing out across the world and, yesterday, the NDA agreed on his name as Prime Minister. Today’s meeting was very important. We could not get as many seats as we wanted in Maharashtra this time, but we are planning our future strategy, beginning with this meeting.”
Explaining his initial decision to resign, Devendra Fadnavis said, “I had led the BJP in this Lok Sabha election, so I said I am responsible for this defeat. I had asked to be allowed to leave my post so that I could work at the grassroots for the Vidhan Sabha elections. But the top leadership showed faith in me. Some people thought that I was disappointed, but I am not going to run away. Our inspiration is Chhatrapati Shivaji. I have not taken any emotional decision, I have a strategy in mind.”
After meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, Fadnavis was persuaded to remain in his role and begin preparations for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls, expected around October. “I met Amit Shah, I am not going to sit quietly for even a minute. Mr. Shah also had the same opinion,” he added.
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Reflecting on the recent poor performance of the Mahayuti coalition, which includes the BJP, the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, Fadnavis pointed out that despite polling only 200,000 fewer votes than the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, the seat difference was significant.
The coalition managed to win only 17 out of Maharashtra’s 48 Lok Sabha constituencies compared to the opposition’s 30.
Fadnavis acknowledged that the BJP’s slogan “ab ki baar 400 paar” and statements about aiming for 400 Lok Sabha seats to amend the Constitution had backfired.
“A narrative was prepared in the Dalit and tribal society. This will not happen in the next election. PM Modi worshipped the Constitution before being elected the leader of the NDA,” he stated.
He also addressed the narrative around the Maratha community’s reservation demand, a longstanding political issue in Maharashtra. “Since 1980, whoever opposed Maratha reservation got votes. But this will not last,” he said.
Contrary to claims that industries were shifting out of Maharashtra, Fadnavis stressed that more such losses occurred during Uddhav Thackeray’s tenure as Chief Minister between 2019 and 2022.
As the Congress gears up for the Assembly elections, the party is strategizing to improve its standing and address the challenges highlighted in the recent polls.
