Maharashtra was among the big states where the BJP suffered a setback in the Lok Sabha elections, winning just nine of the 28 seats it contested. But the good news was that the party still managed to have the highest vote share of 26.2% among all the parties in the state.

With just over two weeks to go for the Assembly polls, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule talks to The Indian Express about the Mahayuti alliance, its game plan to bounce back, and who the CM will be if the coalition returns to power.

Though the BJP’s central leadership is said to have assured Chief Minister Eknath Shinde that he will retain his chair if he crosses the 40-seat mark, Bawankule says who the CM will be is not on the ruling alliance’s agenda at the moment. Excerpts:

It is reasonable given the coalition structure of three parties. In 2019, we contested 163 of the 288 seats. Then, we were just two partners (undivided Shiv Sena and BJP). Now, there are three alliance partners (NCP, Shiv Sena, and BJP) … 152 seats cannot be seen as a compromise. We got the maximum seats … The Shiv Sena got 80 seats and the NCP 52. 17 BJP candidates are also contesting on the tickets of allies: 12 from Shiv Sena, four from NCP and one from Republican Party of India (I).

Mahayuti’s seat-sharing has been done with consensus and better coordination compared to Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). They fielded candidates before striking a formula.

Rebels are across Mahayuti and MVA. There are 27 rebels from the BJP who are challenging the Shiv Sena or the NCP. Along with this, there are 25 Shiv Sena and NCP leaders who will take on BJP candidates. We are speaking to every candidate who has filed nomination against the official Mahayuti candidates. I am confident most of them will withdraw their nominations.

Our focus in the Lok Sabha polls was on national issues and PM Narendra Modi. The MVA turned the Lok Sabha polls into panchayat polls by raising local issues … Their false narrative on the threat to the Constitution instilled fear among Dalits and tribals.

The Assembly polls are going to be different. The Opposition’s fake narrative (on the Constitution) has been exposed and there is a sense of sympathy in our favour. A section of voters who did not vote for us in the Lok Sabha are now admitting they made a mistake. Our Ladki Bahin Yojna has received an overwhelming response.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have made it crystal clear that Ladki Bahin Yojana is going to continue ahead. It is for women’s empowerment and not poll politics. Look at the double standards of MVA. They are demanding withdrawal of the scheme… During public rallies, they are promising a higher amount for the scheme if they come to power.

When activist Manoj Jarange Patil took up the Maratha reservation issue, it attracted support. Gradually, it (the agitation) got converted to politics. When politics takes over a social cause, a movement loses its appeal among the masses. People have begun to see the design behind the agitation … Patil wants to target Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP.

Maratha reservation was given for the first time when Fadnavis was CM ( 2014-’19). The MVA failed to protect it in the Supreme Court. In February 2024, it was the Shinde government that gave a 10% quota to Marathas. Our commitment to Maratha reservation has been consistent. In parliamentary polls, we may have failed to put across our side convincingly. The dialogue between the government and Marathas was misunderstood by OBCs.

While we are in favour of Maratha reservation, we emphatically made it clear that the OBC quota will not be compromised at any cost. Today, both Marathas and OBCs know the Mahayuti government has given them maximum benefits through welfare schemes.

Why not? When the party split, 40-plus MLAs of the total 54 pledged loyalty to Ajit Pawar. In the Lok Sabha polls, NCP’s coordination (with allies) was lacking at the grassroots. Now, we have emphasised a lot on coordination within Mahayuti. The NCP will do much better.

Even within the MVA, the Shiv Sena (UBT) finds itself on the back foot. They are caught in an intense power tussle with Congress. None of their demands, whether it is 100-plus seats or the projection of a CM face, have been fulfilled. In the Lok Sabha polls, the Shiv Sena (UBT) held its ground because of the Congress vote bank.

We are working as a team. Our priority and focus is to get maximum seats.

I would like to reiterate that the CM post is not on our agenda at this moment. Both central and state BJP have put all their energies and efforts into ensuring the Mahayuti’s success.