Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde urges workers to ignore opposition's allegations, focus on 2024 Lok Sabha elections

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde rallied Shiv Sena workers in Palghar district on Saturday, urging them to ignore allegations from the opposition and instead focus on securing over 45 seats for the ruling coalition in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to a gathering of party activists in Manor, Shinde took aim at the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, accusing them of a singular agenda of "cut, commission, and corruption" during their tenure in power, newswire PTI reported.

He asserted that the opposition is levelling baseless charges as it is unable to digest the fast pace of work being done by 'Mahayuti', comprising Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP group under Ajit Pawar.

"Just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared that 'is baar, 400 paar', in Maharashtra, it should be more than 45 seats," he said. The state sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Shinde also responded to the opposition's allegations, including the demand for his resignation, in the wake of the recent shootings involving politicians.

The government has come under sharp criticism from the opposition after Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar was shot dead in Mumbai during a Facebook Live session on Thursday. Last week, a BJP MLA shot at a leader of Shiv Sena from Kalyan.

The police are doing their job and the home minister (Devendra Fadnavis) is capable enough to manage his department, Shinde said, adding, "Definitely, these incidents were unfortunate, but the truth cannot be hidden for a long time."

Shinde hit back at the opposition over its demand for giving a "free hand" to the police, saying people have seen what happened when these parties were running the government. "There was a collection of Rs 100 crore and the then home minister was jailed," he said.

The CM referred to the 2020 Sadhu lynching in Palghar district, the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and his manager Disha Salian and the planting of explosives near billionaire Mukesh Ambani's home in response to the opposition charge of deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

He also talked about the action against "those who chanted Hanuman Chalisa" and the arrest of Union minister Narayan Rane some years ago in Maharashtra, in his retort to the opposition drawing parallels between Maharashtra and Bihar over crimes.

As long as Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar was with the opposition bloc INDIA, there were no comments on Bihar but it all changed after he switched over to the BJP-led NDA, Shinde said.

"My government doesn't work with vengeance but we won't spare wrongdoers," he said.

Shinde urged his partymen to take government schemes to every household in the state and ensure a decisive victory for Mahayuti candidates. (With inputs from PTI)