Sena's Vijay Shivtare, who announced to fight Baramati LS seat as independent, meets Maharashtra CM, Deputy CMs

Mumbai: Former Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Vijay Shivtare, who has announced to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Baramati seat in Maharashtra as an independent candidate, has held a meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were also present at the meeting held post-Wednesday midnight here, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

During their meeting, Shivtare discussed various issues regarding Purandar taluka in Pune district and the hardships faced by the people. The deliberations were positive, it said.

Shinde resolved all issues that Shivtare raised in the meeting. He will spell out his future course of action during a press conference, the statement said.

The Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) currently share power in Maharashtra as 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance).

Earlier this month, Shivtare announced that he would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Baramati as an independent candidate to be the 'voice of common voters' of the constituency.

Prior to that, NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar said MP Supriya Sule would be his party's candidate from Baramati, amid speculation that his nephew and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar could be fielded from there.

Baramati in Pune district is the political stronghold of Pawars.

Shivtare, who belongs to the ruling Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, had represented the Purandar assembly seat in Baramati before facing defeat in 2019. Sanjay Jagtap of the Congress defeated Shivtare from Purandar in 2019.