Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold interactive meetings with BJP functionaries in Mumbai on Tuesday to assess preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra. The meetings will involve party leaders from Mumbai’s 36 assembly constituencies, followed by an interactive session in Navi Mumbai.
Shah’s visit is significant for the BJP, which won 16 seats in the last elections and aims to increase its tally by collaborating with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar faction.
The party aims to strengthen its presence in neighboring areas such as Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, Dombivli, and Palghar, which together have 24 seats.
This marks Shah’s third visit to Maharashtra since he met the state BJP core committee on September 8. He also visited parts of Vidarbha, Marathwada, North Maharashtra, and Western Maharashtra on September 24 and 25.
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During these meetings, Shah emphasized the need for party functionaries to work diligently not only for the success of BJP candidates but also for those from the Shiv Sena and NCP. His goal is to ensure the MahaYuti alliance retains power in the upcoming elections.
He urged party workers to counter the “fake narratives” of the Maha Vikas Aghadi by highlighting the development initiatives of both the Central government and the MahaYuti coalition.
Shah also called for improvements in the alliance’s electoral performance, particularly following its disappointing showing in the general elections. Last week, he met with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar to discuss finalizing the seat-sharing arrangement.
Reports indicate that a faction within the BJP is advocating for a division of 150 to 160 seats for itself, leaving the remaining 128 for the Shiv Sena and NCP. A senior BJP official involved in the discussions stated that Shah has assured party members that a fair seat-sharing agreement will be reached soon.
However, Shah has made it clear that the criteria for nominations will prioritize winnability, which may require dropping some sitting legislators or introducing new candidates to enhance the alliance’s chances.
In related news, State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule challenged Shiv Sena UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray to contest the Assembly elections directly rather than through a member of the State Legislative Council.
Bawankule criticized Thackeray for abandoning the Hindutva principles championed by his father, Balasaheb Thackeray, in pursuit of power through alliances with Congress and NCP.
