Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with his son and Shiv Sena candidate from Kalyan, Shrinkant Shinde, cast their votes today in Mumbai for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. After voting at a polling booth in Thane, CM Shinde highlighted the significance of the elections for the country’s development and expressed confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
“All the important decisions have been taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last 10 years. So I am confident that the people of Maharashtra are going to vote for Mahayuti,” CM Shinde told reporters. He emphasized, “This election is for the development of the country. People are eagerly waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead the country once again.”
Shinde also criticized the Congress party, stating, “What Congress could not do in 57 years, PM Modi did in ten years.”
Polling is currently underway in 13 parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra, including six in Mumbai: Mumbai North, Mumbai North-West, Mumbai North-East, Mumbai North-Central, Mumbai South, and Mumbai South-Central. Other constituencies in Maharashtra where polling is taking place include Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Kalyan, Palghar, Bhiwandi, and Thane.
BJP leader Shaina NC stressed the importance of selecting the right representatives for Mumbai, the financial capital of the country. After casting her vote, she told ANI, “The message to Mumbaikars is think, vote. Because only if you vote can you criticize the system. For Mumbai as the financial capital, I think it’s extremely imperative that we have the right representatives in parliament.”
She further added, “You have seen the kind of work that Prime Minister Modi has done and his vision for a Viksit Bharat is a reality. This is probably the first time that in Mumbai we see no anti-incumbency, we only see a pro-incumbency and that’s because of the Modi magic.”
Maharashtra, with 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest state in terms of parliamentary constituencies, following Uttar Pradesh. The fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024 commenced on Monday morning across 49 parliamentary constituencies spread over six states and two Union Territories (UTs), amid tight security and arrangements.
The Lok Sabha elections are being conducted in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. The Narendra Modi-led BJP is seeking a third term in power, while the opposition INDIA bloc aims to halt their momentum.