Mumbai: Taking responsibility for BJP's debacle in Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday requested the BJP leadership to relieve him of his deputy CM responsibilities. “I take the responsibility for such results in Maharashtra. I was leading the party. 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”, said Fadnavis.

He added, “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 fulfil whatever is lacking. I am not a person who will run away... we will prepare a new strategy and after preparing a new strategy we will go among the public...”. This decision follows the party's poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP's seat count in Maharashtra fell sharply from 23 in 2019 to just nine this year.

Reacting to Fadnavis' statement, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said, "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. The reasons for the defeat will be honestly reviewed. In the last two years, the government has made many good decisions in the state. I will be speaking to Devendra ji soon.  We have worked together in the past and we will keep on working in the future. We have collectively failed to counter the false claims of the opposition."      

The Congress party, on the other hand, said Fadnavis’ offer to resign was only ‘drama’. Fadnavis is running an “unconstitutional government” and had publicly stated that he returned to power by breaking up two parties, said state Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe. 

“His wish to resign is just drama. You (Fadnavis) used official machinery to give the breakaway factions of Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party the (original) party symbol and name. But the people have now expressed their opinion about who these two parties belong to. Will (Prime Minister) Modi resign?” he asked in a statement.

Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: What Happened in Maharashtra? 

In the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the BJP and its allies secured 17 seats in Maharashtra, a stark decline from their previous tally. The BJP's count dropped from 23 seats in 2019 to just nine, while their ally Shiv Sena won seven seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP managed only one. 

Notably, Sunetra Pawar was defeated in Baramati by Supriya Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), emerged victorious with 30 out of 48 seats. The Congress saw a remarkable increase, winning 13 seats compared to just one in 2019, while Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) secured nine and eight seats, respectively.

Vishal Patil, a former Congressman turned independent, won the Sangli seat and expressed willingness to follow the Congress's decision regarding his re-entry into the party.

What Happened in 2019 

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the BJP emerged victorious with 23 seats, while their ally Shiv Sena (at the time undivided) secured 18 seats. The undivided NCP won four constituencies, whereas the Congress managed to clinch just one seat.