Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde announces 'Shivsankalp Abhiyaan' for Lok Sabha polls; to tour all 48 seats in Maharashtra from Jan 6

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde. File Pic

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has set the Shiv Sena's Lok Sabha campaign rolling by announcing that he would tour all 48 constituencies in the state as part of the 'Shivsankalp Abhiyaan', reported news agency PTI.

Addressing party workers through video conferencing on Thursday, Eknath Shinde asked them to prepare for the Lok Sabha polls, which will be held in the first half of 2024, reported PTI.

He directed them to campaign for candidates of the ruling alliance or 'Mahayuti', which also includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), reported PTI.

"The Shivsankalp Abhiyaan will start from January 6 from Yavatmal-Washim constituency. Over the next month, Shinde will visit 15 more constituencies covering different regions of the state," the CM's party said, reported PTI.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, out of the 48 seats in Maharashtra, the BJP secured 23 seats, followed by the undivided Shiv Sena with 18 seats and the NCP with 4 seats. The Congress and AIMIM each won one, while another went to an independent candidate.

Earlier, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the latter's residence, Varsha in Mumbai on Thursday, reported ANI.

The MNS chief was accompanied by party leader and former MLA Bala Nandgaonkar on the occasion.

The two leaders held discussions on state-related issues and the current political situation in Maharashtra, reported ANI.

Their meeting comes at a time when the state prepares for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

Earlier on December 2, the duo met at CM Shinde's residence in Mumbai.

During their meeting, Thackeray, they discussed issues of toll collection and Marathi signboards outside shops in Maharashtra, reported ANI.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party working president and Baramati Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule on Thursday said she had two choices in front of her, power and struggle, and she chose the latter.

"I had two options, power and struggle. On the side of struggle, there was my father and on the side of power was (Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader) Amit Shah. I had to choose between power and struggle. I chose struggle," she said at a public meeting in Indapur.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)