Maharashtra Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Shinde Sena, Ajit’s NCP fear exodus

A day after offering his resignation, Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis met RSS functionaries in Nagpur before leaving for New Delhi to convey his wish to the party high command. Thursday also witnessed some action from the NDA partners in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) reviewed the election performance even as they feared the exodus of MLAs. Notably, CM Eknath Shinde issued serious instructions to his MPs to stay away from INDIA leaders.

Fate of Fadnavis

Fadnavis travelled to Nagpur, his native place, on Thursday where RSS functionaries met him in the wake of his press conference expressing a wish to quit the government and work full-time for the party ahead of the Assembly elections later this year. The deputy CM has taken onus for the BJP's poor showing in Maharashtra where the party dropped from 23 to nine seats. Despite requests from party workers and sympathisers, Fadnavis is said to have given no assurance that he will rethink his decision.

Devendra Fadnavis has taken onus for the BJP's poor showing in Maharashtra. Pic/Kirti Surve Parade

The ex-CM was expected to meet the party high command to table his election report and also ask for permission to quit as the deputy CM. There was no confirmation from Delhi about further developments in this regard. In all, it was quite clear that Fadnavis's future course depended on the top leadership's directive. His supporters were confident that he would be asked to stay back in the government.

Exodus from NCP?

The day was also marked by rumours that several MLAs from the Ajit Pawar camp were on their way to Sharad Pawar's NCP camp. On Thursday, some MLAs skipped the party's review meeting. Earlier in the day, the NCP leadership demanded a cabinet expansion in the state, apparently in a bid to retain MLAs and put pressure on alliance partners.

Sharad Pawar's grandnephew Rohit Pawar triggered speculation, saying that if the break-away MLAs were really on their way back, the party should give priority to those who had stayed back to support the octogenarian, who has scored the highest, an 80 per cent strike rate, in the Lok Sabha polls.

State NCP president Jayant Patil told media persons that he would speak about the incoming MLAs at an appropriate time. The party showcased its newly-elected MPs on Thursday. Meanwhile, Ajit faction's state president Sunil Tatkare dismissed talks of an exodus as baseless rumours. It is evident from statements made by some Ajit Pawar associates that the party felt it was not supported by the alliance leaders as expected. Some legislators expressed their displeasure at a meeting held on Thursday evening.

It is said that Ajit Pawar who skipped the NDA meeting on Wednesday but sent his representatives Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, was expected to get a berth in Narendra Modi's third cabinet. If Ajit gets a cabinet berth and one junior minister's position, Patel and Tatkare were in the line to take them.

After the meeting, Ajit Pawar took responsibility for his party's poor performance. He said he did not have any complaints against the allies. "We lost because we lacked effort. I proved deficient," he said, adding that he lost Baramati not because of others, but because of his lacunae.

He said late Thursday night that many factors affected his party's performance, especially the rejection by the Muslim community, a narrative about the possibility of changing the Constitution and Maratha resentment. He said he would go to New Delhi on Friday morning to participate in the NDA meeting.

‘Stay away from INDIA'

CM Eknath Shinde hosted his newly-elected MPs over lunch on Thursday and instructed them to stay away from INDIA leaders. The directive came following the NDA meeting the CM attended in Delhi on Wednesday. Sources said the Shinde Sena was expected to get more ministerial berths than Ajit's NCP.

The Shinde Sena also decided who most probably would be their representatives in the cabinet. The CM's three-time MP son Dr Shrikant Shinde will be the party's group leader, making him an obvious choice for a cabinet minister's position. Four-term MP Pratap Jadhav and Rajya Sabha member Milind Deora will also be in contention if the party gets more berths on the basis of its seven seats.