File photo of Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan
may have taken moral responsibility for his party's dismal performance in the national elections in Bihar and
resigned as chief minister, but his counterpart in Maharashtra seems to be unwilling to relent.
Sources close to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today said though he has taken the moral responsibility of Congress' loss in the state, but the party's high command should decide if he needs to resign.
The Congress-NCP combine, which Mr Chavan heads, was routed in the national election results of which were declared on Friday. In tune with the national trend, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance swept the state in a complete reversal from the last election. (
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The Congress and NCP were decimated, especially in Mumbai, and the losing candidates included union ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde and Praful Patel. Congress MPs Priya Dutt and Milind Deora lost their seats in Mumbai. (
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The state's BJP leaders have demanded that the assembly elections, due by October this year, be advanced, as the ruling coalition has "
lost the people's mandate."
"If Nitish Kumar can resign then why can't Prithviraj Chavan? People have rejected him as well, he must resign on moral grounds," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said today.
The government's rout was blamed on massive anti-incumbency. The Congress-NCP combine, which has ruled the state since 1999, has been battling a slew of corruption charges. (
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Mr Chavan took over as chief minister in 2010, replacing Ashok Chavan, who was accused of a role in the Adarsh scandal, or the illegal allotment of flats in a Mumbai housing society meant for defence personnel.