A few hours following Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ proposal to step down from governmental responsibilities, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated his intention to have another discussion with the deputy.
This came in the wake of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s significant losses in the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Eknath Shinde stated, “Failures must not discourage us and it is a temporary success to try to get votes by misleading the public.” “I will be speaking to Devendraji soon. We have worked together in the past and we will keep on working in the future. It is a temporary success to try to get votes by misleading the public… We are moving forward with a development agenda. We have collectively failed to counter the false claims of the opposition.”
“Electoral defeat is a collective responsibility. All three parties had worked together in the elections. If you look at the vote share, Mahayuti got more than two lakh votes in Mumbai. In the last two years, the government has taken many good decisions in the state. Although seats have decreased in this election, votes have increased,” the statement added.
Hitting out at the Opposition, Eknath Shinde said, “The false narrative that the constitution will change, hurt us. The opposition was shouting ‘Modi hatao’. Voters, however, people of India kept them away from power.”
“I take full responsibility for the BJP’s defeat in Maharashtra. I fell short in some places, and the setback in Maharashtra is my fault. To focus on the next assembly elections and fix the shortcomings, I request the top brass of my party to relieve me of my government duties. I will meet my seniors and communicate my expectations to them,” Fadnavis said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Mumbai.
Fadnavis mentioned plans to consult with senior leaders and follow their guidance. He also noted coordination issues with CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, which will be addressed in upcoming discussions.
The Congress criticized Fadnavis’s resignation offer as “drama” after the BJP’s setback, suggesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi step down instead. State Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe criticized Fadnavis for leading an “unconstitutional government” and openly admitting to coming to power by splitting two parties.