BMC is our next target: BJP's Devendra Fadnavis after party sweeps four states

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Friday expressed confidence that his party will return to the helm in Maharashtra with full majority after the 2024 assembly polls as the state is "destined to see change of power".

On the assembly poll results in four states - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa - where the BJP retained power, Fadnavis said "Modi magic" turned the much-hyped anti-incumbency into pro-incumbency.

The former Maharashtra chief minister, who was BJP's election in-charge for Goa, was speaking to reporters at the Vidhan Bhavan, state's legislature complex here, on his return to Maharashtra.

"Maharashtra is now destined to see change of power. BJP will form its own government with full majority in 2024," he said.

The Shiv Sena, which was one of the oldest allies of the BJP, had forged an unlikely alliance with the NCP and the Congress after the 2019 Maharashtra polls to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, after parting ways with the BJP over the issue of sharing the chief minister's post.

"The results in four states have once again proven that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only leader in the country. Uttar Pradesh has a population of 25 crore and in the last 37 years, for the first time, a party has retained power in the state... Modi magic turned the much hyped anti-incumbency into pro-incumbency," he said.

When asked about the BJP's next goal, Fadnavis said, "Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the target for us now. We want to rescue the civic body from the clutches of corruption." The Mumbai civic body is currently ruled by the Shiv Sena.