In a major embarrassment for the BJP, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced his resignation on Tuesday afternoon, hours after the Supreme Court ordered that a floor test be held on Wednesday.
Fadnavis, who became the first BJP chief minister of Maharashtra after the party formed a coalition government with the Shiv Sena in 2014, lasted just four days in his second stint as chief minister. The swearing-in of Fadnavis and NCP leader Ajit Pawar as his deputy on November 23 had triggered outrage among opposition parties, which accused the BJP of subverting democracy. Ajit Pawar resigned on Tuesday, after his uncle and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar announced 53 of the 54 NCP MLAs were part of an alliance with the Shiv Sena and Congress.
Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai to announce his resignation, Fadnavis declared the BJP had tried to honour the people's mandate. Fadnavis blamed the Shiv Sena for the political impasse in Maharashtra, claiming the party had sought to take advantage of the change in "numbers". Fadnavis claimed the BJP had never offered a rotational chief minister's arrangement to the Shiv Sena. Fadnavis accused the Shiv Sena of not reaching out to the BJP. Fadnavis announced the BJP would not indulge in horse-trading and he was resigning. He wished the opposition the best in forming a government.
While the BJP became the single-largest party in the 288-member Assembly in the 2019 Assembly polls, with only 105 seats, it was woefully short of the half-way mark of 145 seats to form a government. The Shiv Sena, its pre-poll ally, had demanded that the BJP fulfil its commitment for a '50:50' division of the ministerial posts and chief minister's post.
The BJP had fought the 2019 Assembly polls under the leadership of Fadnavis, a relatively young leader from Nagpur, who was perceived to be close to the RSS. The BJP had also swept the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the Shiv Sena, earning praise for Fadnavis from the party's central leadership.
The short tenure of Fadnavis mirrors the 55-hour stint of B.S. Yediyurappa as Karnataka chief minister in May 2018. The BJP was the single-largest party in the Assembly elections in Karnataka that year, but was short of a majority by seven seats in the 224-member Assembly. Yediyurappa was hurriedly sworn in by Governor Vajubhai Vala, but resigned in the Assembly shortly before a floor test ordered by the Supreme Court.
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While a Congress-JD(S) government took oath after him, Yediyurappa had the last laugh. Under his leadership, the BJP swept the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka and he was back in power in July this year after the Congress-JD(S) lost its majority.
So Fadnavis still has reason to cheer even as the coalition of the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP awaits the governor's invitation to stake claim to form a government.
