Shiv Sena-BJP will fight all polls together, says Shinde after meeting Shah in Delhi

Shinde and Fadnavis had called on Shah at Delhi on Sunday. Shinde on Monday tweeted that all polls, including parliamentary, assembly and local self-government, will be contested by the two ruling parties in alliance

Mumbai: Chief minister Eknath Shinde said that the Shiv Sena and BJP will contest all upcoming elections together after meeting Union home minister Amit Shah along with deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Shiv Sena-BJP will fight all polls together, says Shinde after meeting Shah in Delhi

Shinde and Fadnavis had called on Shah at Delhi on Sunday. Shinde on Monday tweeted that all polls, including parliamentary, assembly and local self-government, will be contested by the two ruling parties in alliance.

He said that the government had performed well and undertaken many developmental works in the last 11 months. Several incomplete projects were also completed by the alliance government, he added.

The Sunday meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of rumblings within the ruling alliance and the possibility of civic polls being held soon after the monsoon. The elections for most of the civic bodies and district councils in the state would show where the ruling alliance stands vis-a-vis the Opposition coalition, Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

The BJP is keen on winning the Mumbai civic body which has been a stronghold of the Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray.

The issue of elections in the state and the prospects of the two parties contesting together and more importantly giving due share to Shinde-led Shiv Sena were discussed, according to sources.

A few days ago, Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar and a senior leader of the party had said that they were receiving stepmotherly treatment from the Central government even though they were part of the NDA. They had also discussed the parliamentary and state polls and said that all sitting MLAs and MPs must be repeated.

The CM also said that during his meeting with Shah, issues related to farmers, women empowerment and stalled projects were discussed. Since Shah holds the cooperation portfolio in the Centre, issues related to cooperatives were also discussed.

Shiv Sena spokesperson and former corporator Sheetal Mhatre said, “We have always said that we must fight all elections together. The CM has already said that we will fight elections together. Our alliance is unbreakable.”

Meanwhile, the BJP has started preparations for the civic polls. On Saturday night, Fadnavis had a meeting with his party leaders on how the BMC elections must be fought. So far, more than 10 former corporators of the Shiv Sena (UBT) group have joined them. The BJP has already declared its Mission 150 for Mumbai, wherein they want to win over 150 seats to take control of BMC.