On May 23, Devendra Fadnavis was absolutely frank in admitting that the overwhelming Lok Sabha verdict has put BJP leaders like him under immense pressure to deliver. Fadnavis was speaking in the capacity of Maharashtra chief minister, who will face the Assembly polls in October. He said the trust that the voters showed in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government in the state would give him sleepless nights, not because of the fear factor that the 'decimated' Opposition would somehow try to create in run-up to the Assembly polls, but because of the high expectations that people have from the BJP.

Along with Modi, Fadnavis too was the Opposition's prime target in the campaign, which ultimately did not impress upon the voters. This provides Fadnavis great relief. Also, the arithmetic and voting pattern in the Lok Sabha elections helped him predict the BJP's return to power and ally Shiv Sena's comeback as the second single largest party after the BJP. So, Fadnavis should be looking forward to plugging the gaps that he sees in the May 23 results. Previous electoral showdowns established that national and state elections were different when it comes to the poll planks, sharing of seats and selection of candidates. As constituencies become smaller in Assembly polls (generally a Lok Sabha seat has six Assembly segments), the issues become more intricate. Local issues play hard and good candidates decide the fate
of the parties and alliances they represent.