Amit Shah Gears Up for Maharashtra Elections, Key Meeting with BJP Core Committee & Devendra Fadnavis

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a late-night meeting on September 8 with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. During his two-day visit to Maharashtra, Shah met with the leaders at the Sahyadri State Guest House. According to BJP sources, the discussion focused on public feedback regarding various government schemes ahead of the assembly elections. The Maharashtra assembly elections are expected to be held in October-November. It is also likely that the meeting addressed recent controversial statements made by the Shiv Sena under CM Shinde's leadership and the Nationalist Congress Party. In a separate BJP meeting, Shah advised party leaders to avoid public controversies and to maintain a unified image in front of the public. He emphasized selecting suitable candidates with a winning potential and countering opponents' false narratives. Shah also noted that some BJP legislators' performances were unsatisfactory and directed that decisions regarding seats be made accordingly. Amid the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, Shah visited the 'Lalbagh Ka Raja' Ganesh idol and later went to the homes of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and CM Eknath Shinde for darshan. Shah's family traditionally visits 'Lalbagh Ka Raja' during the festival. In response, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut criticized Shah's visit to Mumbai, suggesting that he should instead focus on the situation in Manipur, where he claimed attacks and atrocities against women are ongoing. Raut questioned Shah's presence in Mumbai and urged him to address the issues in Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir.