Shah holds meeting with Shinde, Ajit Pawar in Mumbai, discusses Lok Sabha polls

Mumbai: Union home minister Amit Shah held a meeting with Maharashtra alliance partners in Mumbai late night on Tuesday. The Maha Yuti comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP is expected to finalise its seat sharing for the Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra after the meeting.

Mr. Shah reached ‘Sahyadri’ government guest house at Malabar Hill at around 10.15pm. Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of BJP and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the NCP, attended the meeting.

The three parties are likely to make formal announcement of their alliance for Lok Sabha on Wednesday. According to reports, the BJP wants to contest more than 30 seats, Shiv Sena wants more than 20 while the NCP has claimed 12 seats out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. However, consensus will be formed after Mr. Shah speaks to Shiv Sena and NCP leaders, a BJP leader said.

Mr. Shah is on a two-day tour of Maharashtra. Before coming to Mumbai, he also held meetings and rallies in Akola, Jalgaon and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.

Addressing BJP’s Yuva Sammelan at Jalgaon, the Union home minister said that the 2024 election is crucial for making the country “Viksit Bharat” by 2047. He also ridiculed INDIA bloc leaders and said that they have come together to secure future of their sons, daughters and nephews.

“Leaders of INDIA bloc parties have limited objective to promote their individual son, daughter’s political career. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi wants to make Rahul Gandhi the next PM. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray wants to make son Aaditya Thackeray as the next CM. NCP’s Sharad Pawar is keen to make his daughter Supriya Sule the next CM. M.K. Stalin of DMK wants his son as the next CM. Trinamool Congress CM Mamata Banerjee is working to see nephew (Abhijit Banerjee) as her successor. How can INDIA whose leaders are serving vested interests safeguard democracy and national interest? Those who are so tied up with family’s vested interests cannot uphold democracy. Whereas, Modi’s leadership which is relentlessly striving for the well-being and future of 130 crore people of India will alone ensure that democracy thrives and gets stronger,” Mr. Shah said.

Taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul, Mr Shah said that “Rahulyaan” has failed to take off 19 times and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would be the 20th launch. “Vote for the BJP means a vote for Bharat and making Narendra Modi Prime Minister for the third time,” he said.