On Wednesday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed a press conference following the BJP's poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections in the western state. Fadnavis took moral responsibility for the BJP's losses. In a surprising move, Fadnavis requested the BJP leadership to relieve him of his duties as Deputy CM and Home Minister, expressing a desire to work from 'outside'. Notably, Fadnavis was initially reluctant to join the government when Eknath Shinde allied with the BJP to form the government in Maharashtra.
Reflecting on the BJP's poor performance, Fadnavis said, "We were fighting against a narrative along with the MVA. They spread the notion that we would change the constitution. We failed to effectively counter this narrative." "The MVA received 43.91% of the votes, while we got 43.60%. We lost by less than half a percent. The MVA only got 200,000 more votes than us," he added. "In Mumbai, they got 2.4 million votes, while we got 2.6 million. We had 200,000 more votes," Fadnavis noted. "We lost eight seats by less than 4% of the votes, and six seats by less than 30,000 votes. Some seats were lost by just 2-4 thousand votes," he continued.
"In the 2019 election, we had 27.84% of the votes and won 23 seats. This time, we lost only 1.5% of the votes, but our seats were reduced to nine. The Congress' vote share increased by 1%, and their seats increased by 12," he added. "To say that people have rejected the BJP is wrong. There is just a fractional difference in vote share. However, they consolidated votes better, and certain narratives worked in their favor." "There were pan-Maharashtra issues as well as local issues. In some places, there was anti-incumbency against our candidates that we did not initially gauge. Farmers' issues also played a role, particularly with falling prices of soybeans and cotton due to international market problems. Although we announced compensation, we couldn't deliver due to issues with the model code of conduct, leading to voter anger. The constitution change issue and the consolidation of minority votes against us also had an impact. Additionally, the Maratha reservation issue damaged us in Marathwada despite us granting the reservation," Fadnavis explained.
"We will hold a meeting with CM Shinde and DCM Pawar to address coordination issues and discuss resolutions," he added. Fadnavis praised party leaders and workers for their hard work but acknowledged the reduction in seats. "As I led the BJP in this election in Maharashtra, I take responsibility for our losses. I accept my shortcomings and will work to overcome them. I take full responsibility for the setback faced by the BJP in Maharashtra." In a shocking development, Fadnavis requested the party leadership to free him from his government responsibilities, allowing him to focus entirely on the upcoming Assembly elections. "I will meet with the top leadership to convey this request," Fadnavis concluded.