Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | What will the post-poll landscape look like? PM Modi, Shah drop hints

Mumbai: In the run up to the Vidhan Sabha polls in Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister and BJP’s chief strategist Amit Shah dropped broad hints on the shape of the new government, in case the Maha Yuti returns to power.

Modi and Shah, who were in Maharashtra, while addressing different rallies, praised Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his leadership.

The comments of Modi and Shah came when Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar were on separate campaign trails.

Modi addressed two rallies in Dhule and Nashik, during which he was accompanied by Fadnavis.

Speaking about the ground-breaking ceremony of the Wadhavan port in the Palghar district, Modi said there is a demand for a new airport in the district. “As soon as the new government comes in and the code of conduct is over, the dream of Fadnavis ji would be realised,” he said.

Fadnavis reciprocated in a post on X, saying: “At the BhoomiPujan ceremony of Palghar's Vadhvan Port which is among the world’s 'Top 10' ports, I had requested for a new airport too there. Today, Hon PM Narendra Modi Ji gave a firm commitment in Dhule, to fulfil that demand. This new airport in Palghar will provide a significant boost to the economy of Mumbai, MMR, and Maharashtra too. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Hon PM Narendra Modi Ji!. (sic)”

In Sangli, Shah said: “… Around one-and-a-half-months ago, I toured Maharashtra … I went to Mumbai, Konkan, Western Maharashtra, North Maharashtra, Marathwada … wherever I went the feeling was that … Maha Yuti ki sarkar banani hai … Devendra bhai ki vijayi banana hai (we have to make a Maha Yuti government and make Fadnavis victorious)”.

Fadnavis posted the video of excerpts of Shah's speech on X.

It may be mentioned, Fadnavis is the architect of the Maha Yuti government in its current morph after toppling the Sharad Pawar-crafted Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation.

After the 2019 polls, Fadnavis' attempt to form a government failed as Shiv Sena-BJP alliance broke. A parallel attempt to form a government with Ajit Pawar also failed in 80 hours. Fadnavis, a two-time former Chief Minister, had to become Leader of the Opposition.

After the Shiv Sena split in two in June-July 2022, Eknath Shinde became the Chief Minister, and the BJP high-command asked Fadnavis to become his deputy, which he had to agree to. A year later in June-July 2024, Ajit Pawar joined the government as Shinde’s deputy as well.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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