After 2 meetings with BJP leadership, Fadnavis asked to stay put as Deputy CM

Union home minister Amit Shah, who met with Fadnavis on Thursday and Friday in Delhi, has told the 53-year-old to lead the party in Maharashtra

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s central leadership has turned down Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ offer to resign after he took responsibility for the state unit’s poor showing in the Lok Sabha elections. Union home minister Amit Shah, who met with Fadnavis on Thursday and Friday in Delhi, has told the 53-year-old to lead the party in Maharashtra and chalk out a plan for the assembly polls slated to be held in October this year. The BJP managed to win just nine Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, down from 23 in the 2019 polls.

New Delhi, Jun 7 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BJP leader Ashok Chavan and BJP MP Sarbananda Sonowal leave after attending the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI Photo) (Nitin Lawate)

According to party sources, Shah told Fadnavis to continue in the Maharashtra government as his ouster right now might prove to be counterproductive during the state elections. “Fadnavis has been asked to prepare a plan for the assembly polls and galvanise the cadre. The deputy CM is hellbent on his resignation, but Shah has asked him to give the central leadership some time to think over it,” said a senior BJP leader.

The BJP leadership is wary about Fadnavis stepping down as deputy CM as they don’t have a suitable alternative to replace him in the state unit. However, the anger among the Maratha community against the BJP and, especially Fadnavis, in the backdrop of the reservation protests is a cause of concern for the party. The face of the stir, activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, has attacked Fadnavis multiple times in the past few months, and the BJP believes the issue played a part in the poll debacle. “This could be a reason the central leadership thinks of changing deputy chief minister,” another party leader said.

Fadnavis has reportedly expressed his dismay over the interference by the BJP central leadership during seat-sharing discussions among the Mahayuti alliance partners and choosing candidates in Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha elections. Other reasons Fadnavis cited for the party’s poor showing were a supposedly false narrative set by the Congress about the BJP’s attempt to scrap the constitution, a delay in announcing the candidates, and a lack of coordination between the three Mahayuti partners.

Fadnavis, meanwhile, has asked his party colleagues to pull up their socks and begin preparing for the assembly polls. The state unit plans to organise an outreach programme called Jan Samvad Yatra across the state, which Fadnavis will lead. The party leadership has also decided to take corrective steps to address the unrest among Marathas, and polarisation among Muslims and Dalits, a BJP leader said.

In case the BJP leadership decides to change the deputy chief minister, Fadnavis’s close confidante Girish Mahajan could replace him. Mahajan, however, said there was no substance in the rumours. “We all have requested Fadnavis to continue as the deputy CM and lead the organisation in the elections. He is our leader with utmost respect and faith, and can lead us to victory. We are happy that Amitji has asked Fadnavis to continue in his position for now. We are chalking out a three-month roadmap for the state elections,” Mahajan said.