On Thursday, while participating in a media conclave, Fadnavis noted that the BJP’s core voter base was initially uncomfortable about the alliance with the NCP, “though now, 80 percent of voters understand the necessity of such political compromises”.
“Sometimes, you have to make political compromises that go against your true beliefs, but you still go along with them. We have made such compromises,” Fadnavis said.
The ruling coalition, consisting of the BJP, NCP, and CM Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, secured only 17 of the 48 seats in the state, with the BJP’s tally falling from 23 in 2019 to just nine this time.
Fadnavis admitted the facts and said, “It’s true that this was the BJP’s worst performance in recent general elections. We contested 28 seats but won only a few. However, we lost 12 seats by a very small margin, just 3 percent, which is around 3,000-6,000 votes.
It’s important to note that we received the highest number of votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.” He elaborated that contesting the election as new political parties was quite difficult for both the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar). “For the Shiv Sena and NCP, this Lok Sabha election was primarily about consolidating their voter bases, which proved challenging for both.”
In contrast, he noted that it was relatively easier for the BJP because its voter base was more stable. He pointed out that “the Shiv Sena found it easier to transfer its votes to the BJP due to their longstanding alliance.
However, the NCP faced difficulties in transferring votes because the BJP has traditionally contested against them. The voter bases of both parties have become more stable now, which means these issues are unlikely to happen again in the state assembly elections.”
He further added that at least 80 per cent of the voter base is now convinced of the need to ally with the NCP. “Winning is more important than worrying about how things look,” he reflected. The assembly election is likely to be announced in November, and the model code of conduct is expected to come into effect between October 10 and 15. Speaking on the seat-sharing talks with the Shiv Sena and NCP, he said discussions for 80 per cent of the 288 assembly seats were over. Winnability was more important than focussing on perceptions, Fadnavis added.
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