Maharashtra CM should quit, says BJP; seeks Assembly polls

Buoyed by stellar performance of the Shiv Sena-BJP led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, BJP on Friday demanded the resignation of the Congress-NCP government headed by Prithviraj Chavan.

"It is not that we want this government's dismissal just because Modi has come to power. This government should own up moral responsibility and face Assembly elections immediately," state BJP president Devendra Fadnavis said.

Fadnavis made the demand as trends indicated that Congress which contested 27 seats was leading in one seat and NCP which contested 21 seats, was leading in just four. In the outgoing Lok Sabha, Congress has 17 and NCP 8 seats of the total 48 seats in Maharashtra.

"People of the state were disappointed with the state and Central governments. They realised that Narendra Modi can provide a stable government," Fadnavis said.

Amid mounting pressure from BJP on Chavan to quit, MPCC spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, "there is a need to analyse the results."

Former bureaucrat Avinash Dharmadhikari said it is up to Chavan to decide whether to step down from his post, after the drubbing the Congress and ally NCP got in the polls.

Meanwhile, industry minister Narayan Rane, whose son Nilesh is seeking re-election from coastal Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seat, was reported as saying that he will quit the state cabinet if his son loses the poll.