Maharashtra BJP functionaries to meet in Mumbai on June 14

Pic/PTI

Days after suffering a poll debacle in Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is holding a meeting of its Maharashtra BJP functionaries on June 14 in Mumbai, sources said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI.

The Maharashtra BJP functionaries meeting will be attended by Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, and Mumbai unit BJP president Ashish Shelar.

The meeting is likely to discuss the plans and preparations of the BJP for the upcoming assembly elections, according to sources, reported PTI.

All district heads of BJP and other functionaries will attend the conclave, they added, reported PTI.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, BJP's seat tally came down from 23 to 9 in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday night held a meeting here with Shiv Sena candidates who lost the just concluded Lok Sabha polls.

The Shinde-led Sena, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, contested on 15 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra and won seven of them.

The Shiv Sena's Lok Sabha candidates who attended the huddle were Mumbai MLA Yamini Jadhav, Rahul Shewale, Hemant Godse, Sadashiv Lokhande, Sanjay Mandlik, Baburao Kohalikar and Hemant Patil, said a party functionary, reported PTI.

Another losing nominee of the party, Raju Parve, skipped the gathering as he had to attend the funeral of a relative, he said, reported PTI.

On the occasion, Shinde discussed the party's strategy for the assembly polls in Maharashtra which are due in October, the functionary said, reported PTI.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also held a meeting with party functionaries on Monday here as part of the strategy for the Maharashtra Assembly polls to be held in the second half of the year, reported PTI.

The party won nine seats in the Lok Sabha polls, though it had contested from 21 of the 48 constituencies in the state.

The meeting was attended by party functionaries, including district heads and other key persons.

(With inputs from PTI)