Fadnavis offers resignation as deputy CM after BJP's poll debacle

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has expressed his desire to step down from his government position to focus on strengthening the BJP at the organizational level. This decision follows the BJP's disappointing performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, where their seat count dropped from 23 in 2019 to just nine this year.

Fadnavis announced his intention to request relief from his deputy CM duties to devote his time to improving the party's performance in the upcoming Assembly elections. He made this statement after a review meeting on the election results, which was attended by top BJP leaders, including state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

The BJP and its allies secured 17 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, a significant decline from their previous tally of 23. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), won 30 seats. Congress notably increased its seats from one to 13, while Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP secured nine and eight seats, respectively.