Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, announced that Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, will contest from Kalyan in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Fadnavis dismissed speculations of a dispute within the Mahayuti alliance, affirming that Shrikant Shinde is the Mahayuti candidate from Kalyan.
Mahayuti is an alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Minister Sambhuraj Desai emphasized that Shrikant Shinde’s candidature demonstrates the unity within the Mahayuti alliance, stating, “This shows the unity amongst the people of Mahayuti. BJP and Shiv Sena are brothers, so today Devendra Fadnavis announced Shrikant Shinde from Kalyan Lok Sabha seat and all the leaders and workers of the BJP will be with Shrikant Shinde. This is the role of our Mahayuti and it is a good thing.”
Expressing confidence in winning the Lok Sabha polls, Desai added, “We will bring Modi ji once again with a margin of more than 400 seats. We all are with PM Modi.” Shrikant Shinde, the incumbent MP, will face Shiv Sena’s (UBT) two-time corporator Vaishali Darekar in the Kalyan constituency.
The Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be conducted in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. Vote counting will take place on June 4. Maharashtra, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. The state’s political diversity and significant electoral influence play a crucial role in shaping national politics.