12 July,2023 05:35 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Eknath Shinde. File Pic
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will start a tour of the state from Thursday, a spokesperson of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena said, according to the PTI.
CM Eknath Shinde would be hitting the road days after Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state on July 2, the PTI reported.
CM Shinde will start his tour from his home turf Thane city on July 13, said Shiv Sena spokesperson Naresh Mhaske in a statement, as per the PTI.
He will speak at a party rally here on Thursday evening, Mhaske said.
The aim of the tour was to strengthen the party and reach out to the people ahead of the next year's elections, he said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Industries Minister and Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant on Tuesday said 'Mahayuti' alliance led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will get more than 200 MLAs and more than 45 MPs in the upcoming elections.
The Shiv Sena also said that the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections will be held under the leadership of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.
"With able leaders heading the Mahayuti, we are sure of getting the numbers. Opposition members are scrambling to save their remaining leaders and hence resorting to lowly criticism," he said.
While speaking at a press conference held at his official residence in Mumbai, Uday Samant said that Uddhav Thackeray's criticism on the government's 'Shaasan Aaplya Daari' ('Government at your doorstep') initiative is an attempt to keep up the morale of their remaining cadres.
"Those who speak in front of an audience and give speeches only in rallies can never understand the initiative of reaching out to people's doorstep. Some people are not able to digest the fact because they know that lakhs of people are benefitting from the initiative and Eknath Shinde has been reaching out to the public. All their criticism is to keep their MLAs intact; we ignore such statements and speeches," he said.
Uday Samant said the way Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis was subjected to insult by Uddhav Thackeray is the lowest they can get.
"Back in the 2019 elections, they fought elections together and kept Balasaheb Thackeray's photo alongside PM Narendra Modi's. What happened next is for everyone to see. And now suddenly he is a kalank or tainted? Constructive criticism of ideas and thoughts is fine, but hitting below the belt and attacking on a personal level is not appreciated," he added.
The Shiv Sena leader further said that everyone in Maharashtra knows why Eknath Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray.
(with PTI inputs)
