Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address public meetings in Dhule and Nashik on Friday ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections. The elections are scheduled for November 20, with vote counting across all 288 constituencies on November 23.
Modi announced his visit on X, stating, “My family members in Maharashtra have resolved to ensure an unprecedented victory for the NDA candidates in the assembly elections. In this atmosphere of enthusiasm, I will seek the blessings of the people by attending public meetings in Dhule at around 12 noon tomorrow and then in Nashik at 2 pm.”
महाराष्ट्र के मेरे परिवारजनों ने विधानसभा चुनाव में एनडीए प्रत्याशियों को अभूतपूर्व जीत दिलाने का दृढ़निश्चय कर लिया है। जोश से भरे इसी माहौल के बीच कल दोपहर करीब 12 बजे धुले में और उसके बाद 2 बजे नासिक में जनसभा का हिस्सा बनकर जनता-जनार्दन का आशीर्वाद प्राप्त करूंगा।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 7, 2024
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders gathered in New Delhi to discuss campaign strategies for the upcoming Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections, along with by-polls in various states. This meeting, held on Tuesday, took place in two sessions. Sources report that the first session, led by Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda, focused on discussing election strategies with allied party ministers for both assembly and by-poll elections. The second phase centered on internal party elections.
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One of the primary goals of this meeting, ahead of the winter session of Parliament, was to enhance coordination within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). A similar gathering had previously been held at BJP President JP Nadda’s residence, where discussions addressed campaign planning, refining party messaging, and fostering stronger alliances with NDA partners.
The opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, which includes Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), aims to reclaim control of Maharashtra from the Mahayuti alliance, composed of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the BJP, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction.
In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP secured 105 seats, Shiv Sena won 56, and Congress took 44. In the 2014 elections, the BJP held 122 seats, Shiv Sena won 63, and Congress gained 42 seats.