Maharashtra Elections 2024: "No one can take back the welfare schemes," says CM Eknath Shinde

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With Maharashtra Elections 2024 less than a month away, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday claimed that all welfare schemes launched by his government will continue, considering that the opposition's intention is to withhold the welfare schemes after coming to power, ANI reported.

"The opposition leaders say that if they form the government, they will stop all schemes and make enquiries into the schemes. No one can take back the welfare schemes," Shinde told ANI.

Elections for the 288 assembly seats of Maharashtra will be held on November 20, while the vote counting will take place on November 23.

Terming Diwali 2024 as 'special', Shinde said, "This year's Diwali is very special. The daughters, youth and farmers have got several schemes this year."

"We are celebrating Diwali today. This is our festival; taking it forward is our duty. When our government came, we started the celebration of festivals again." he added, ANI cited.

Eknath Shine-led Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party are contesting in the upcoming Maharashtra Elections 2024 under the banner of Mahayuti alliance, hoping to return to power. They are competiting against the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), consisting of Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar said on Thursday emphasized that MVA alliance partners are to sit down in order to find solutions on seats where more than one nomination is being filed from MVA, ANI reported.

"I don't have much detail about it because I am not part of all these talks. our other leaders are looking into it, but I know there are some 10-12 seats where two nominations are being filled from the alliance...in the next two-three days we will sit together to find the solution for it," Sharad Pawar said in response to the speculation of a friendly fight within the MVA alliance.

As many as 7,995 candidates have filed 10,905 nominations with the Election Commission (EC) for the polls, a statement issued by the office of the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said on Tuesday, ANI reported.