New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah has asked Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to continue his work in the government, despite Fadnavis's firm decision to resign and accept responsibility for NDA's poor performance in the state, according to NDTV. Shah has also asked him to prepare a plan for revitalising the BJP in the state.
"If you resign, it will affect the morale of BJP workers. So don't resign now," Shah was quoted as telling Fadnavis. He also informed Fadnavis that they would discuss the resignation in detail after the swearing-in of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for the third time, scheduled for 6 pm on Sunday.
Earlier, Fadnavis stated that he would request the BJP's top leadership to relieve him of his government duties so he could focus on the state assembly polls. The assembly elections in Maharashtra are likely to be held around October this year. He also acknowledged issues of coordination with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of the NCP. "I take full responsibility for the BJP's defeat in Maharashtra," Fadnavis admitted.
The BJP and allies got 17 seats in Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra, with the BJP's tally dwindling by less than half compared to 2019, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) won 30 of the 48 seats. The BJP-led NDA fell significantly short of its target of bagging 45-plus seats in Maharashtra, garnering just 17 seats. The BJP won nine seats, a far cry from the 23 it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the state.
