'Relieve me from Maharashtra Dy CM duties': Devendra Fadnavis requests BJP

Devendra Fadnavis' decision follows the BJP's poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday announced his intention to resign.

Fadnavis, who previously led the state in coalition with the undivided Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray, stated, "I take 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 the upcoming elections."

"This debacle that happened in Maharashtra, our seats have reduced, the entire responsibility for this is mine. I accept this responsibility and will try to fulfill 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,” Fadnavis said.

Earlier in the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit in Maharashtra held a meeting to analyse the party's poor performance. The meeting was attended by Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP's state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, and other senior leaders.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fell significantly short of its target of securing 45 seats in Maharashtra, managing to win just nine Lok Sabha seats in the state. This marked a decline of 14 seats compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Together with its allies, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the NDA won a total of 17 out of 48 seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won 23 seats in Maharashtra.

In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) exceeded expectations by securing 30 seats. The Congress achieved a significant increase, winning 13 seats compared to the solitary seat it won in 2019. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) secured nine seats, and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) won eight seats.