Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar address a press conference, in Mumbai, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
At a time when the I.N.D.I.A opposition bloc holds its crucial meeting in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1, leaders of the ruling NDA coalition in Maharashtra would converge to hold deliberations in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on the same days.
The BJP-led NDA is called MahaYuti in Maharashtra and comprises 10 political parties.
The meeting would be addressed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his two deputies - Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
The top leadership of BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar-led NCP group, Ramdas Athawale-led Republic Party of India (Athawale), Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, Bachchu Kadu-led Prahar Janshakti Party, Prof Jogendra Kawade-led People’s Republican Party, Sadabhau Khot-led Rayat Kranti Sangathana, Vinay Kore-led Jansurajya Party, Mahadev Jankar-led Rashtriya Samaj Party, would be attending the meeting.
The informal deliberations would commence on 31 August, when Shinde would host the leaders for dinner at Varsha, the chief ministerial residence at Malabar Hill in Mumbai.
On 1 September, region wise meetings would be held for all the five regions - Mumbai-Konkan, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Western Maharashtra, and North Maharashtra.
“The joint meeting would review the preparedness for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” BJP MLC Prasad Lad said.
“All the MPs, MLAs, MLCs of the alliance, respective district chiefs and office bearers would be attending the meeting,” he said.
Asked why it has been timed coinciding with the I.N.D.I.A meeting, state industries minister Uday Samant of Shiv Sena said, “Our meeting was pre-decided. Perhaps, they have timed their meet like this.”
This would be the first big exercise of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra in the run up to 2024 - which would not only see the Lok Sabha polls but also the Maharashtra Assembly polls.
With BJP now having two big allies - in the form of Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar - the seat sharing between the three parties would be a major task.