MUMBAI: The major debacle of the Mahayuti and BJP losing its Nagpur graduate constituency seat in biennial MLC polls has given the ammunition to BJP ally Shiv Sena to restart the demand for a leadership change in Maharashtra.
In the MLC polls, Mahayuti – the ruling party- won only two seats out of a total of five seats, and the BJP lost two seats out of three contested seats, including its prestigious chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s home turf and the RSS headquarters-located Nagpur graduate constituency seat, igniting the demand within the alliance partners to change the leadership for better prospects of the alliance in Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar said that the MLC elections result is crystal clear mandate what people of this state want. Dhangekar said the graduate students and job-aspiring youths like competitive exam aspirants are against the incumbent government because of paper leaks and fraud in job recruitment, and that anger has been reflected in the MLC graduate constituencies election results.
“We, as the ruling party and people in power, have to learn from this debacle. The young generation is against the government. We have seen this during the MPSC aspirants' protest. And, in this scenario, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is a grounded leader and has a touch with common people, can be the best option to lead the state. When Ekanth Shinde was chief minister of Maharashtra, Mahayuti won the majority of the seats, but now Mahayuti is losing seats to the opposition. Therefore, it is the right time for a change of guard in the state,” Dhangekar said.
Shiv Sena leader and former minister Abdul Sattar said that DCM Eknath Shinde is a tall leader of Shiv Sena and his leadership has been appreciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah from time to time.
Sattar said Mahayuti came to power in Maharashtra under the leadership of DCM Eknath Shinde only; he was the face of the alliance; therefore, people wholeheartedly voted in favour of Mahayuti.
“Whenever Eknath Shinde goes to Delhi and meets PM Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah, that time our hopes get ignited that Shinde saheb become the chief minister of Maharashtra again. As Shiv Sena leaders, we want to see him as chief minister, and this is the best time to choose him as CM of Maharashtra again. Shinde Saheb's leadership is the need of the hour for the Mahayuti for better prospects and future,” Sattar claimed.
BJP leader Pravin Darekar slammed the Shiv Sena leaders for demanding a change of leadership in Maharashtra, saying incumbent CM Devendra Fadnavis is doing good work, so need to replace him. He said that the Sena leaders who are demanding the change of leadership in the state are on an anti-Fadnavis agenda, and their words have no value either.