The Prime Minister's visit to Sholapur is seen as a move to boost BJP's election campaign ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls. During the event, the PM also spoke about the upper caste reservation bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. "Yesterday late night, a historic bill was passed in Lok Sabha. By passing the bill regarding 10% reservation being granted to economically weaker section in the general category, our principle of ‘Sabka sath sabka vikas’ has been further strengthened," he said.
"Our government is not only concerned about poor but also the middle class," he said and added, "New law will give birth to a new India." BJP president Amit Shah is slated to address a meeting of the party's booth-level workers at Latur in central Maharashtra Sunday.
Earlier this week, Shah reportedly asked the party's Maharashtra MPs to be prepared to contest coming elections alone if an alliance with the Shiv Sena did not materialise. BJP is in alliance with the Sena in Maharashtra and at the Centre. The Sena has been critical of the BJP and its leaders have spoken of contesting the Lok Sabha elections alone.