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 leadersFate of FadnavisFadnavis 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 fulltime for the party ahead of the Assembly elections later this year The deputy CM has taken onus for the BJPrsquos 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 decisionDevendra Fadnavis has taken onus for the BJPrsquos poor showing in Maharashtra PicKirti Surve ParadeThe exCM 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 Fadnavisrsquos future course depended on the top leadershiprsquos directive His supporters were confident that he would be asked to stay back in the governmentExodus from NCPThe day was also marked by rumours that several MLAs from the Ajit Pawar camp were on their way to Sharad Pawarrsquos NCP camp On Thursday some MLAs skipped the partyrsquos 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 partnersSharad Pawarrsquos grandnephew Rohit Pawar triggered speculation saying that if the breakaway 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 pollsState NCP president Jayant Patil told media persons that he would speak about the incoming MLAs at an appropriate time The party showcased its newlyelected MPs on Thursday Meanwhile Ajit factionrsquos 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 eveningIt 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 Modirsquos third cabinet If Ajit gets a cabinet berth and one junior ministers position Patel and Tatkare were in the line to take themAfter the meeting Ajit Pawar took responsibility for his partyrsquos poor performance He said he did not have any complaints against the allies ldquoWe lost because we lacked effort I proved deficientrdquo he said adding that he lost Baramati not because of others but because of his lacunaeHe said late Thursday night that many factors affected his partyrsquos 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 meetinglsquoStay away from INDIArsquoCM Eknath Shinde hosted his newlyelected 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 Ajitrsquos NCPThe Shinde Sena also decided who most probably would be their representatives in the cabinet The CMrsquos threetime MP son Dr Shrikant Shinde will be the partyrsquos group leader making him an obvious choice for a cabinet ministers position Fourterm 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