Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a series of nine rallies across Maharashtra this week as part of the BJP’s campaign for the upcoming state assembly elections. The campaign will kick off with a rally in Dhule on Friday, marking the start of a packed schedule.
During his address in Dhule, PM Modi praised the ongoing development under the Mahayuti government and launched a sharp critique of the Congress party. He also accused Congress and the INDIA bloc of conspiring against the interests of Kashmir, referencing the recent unrest in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly over a resolution calling for the restoration of Article 370.
PM Modi’s rally itinerary includes speeches in Akola and Nanded on November 9, with additional events in Chimur and Solapur on November 12. Following these, he will participate in a roadshow in Pune. His final rallies will take place on November 14 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Raigad, and Mumbai. The Maharashtra state assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with results expected to be declared on November 23.
The BJP is contesting the election as part of the Mahayuti alliance, which includes Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The opposition is led by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, comprising Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP), and the Congress party.
In related developments, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar clarified that he did not request PM Modi to hold a rally in his Baramati constituency, noting that the electoral contest in the region is a family affair. Ajit Pawar, the sitting MLA, will face off against his nephew, Yugendra Pawar, who is contesting from the rival NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar.
Sharad Pawar, leader of NCP (SP), has claimed that the people of Maharashtra are eager for change and emphasized that the MVA alliance would provide a credible alternative in the upcoming elections. Pawar also expressed support for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s call for a national caste census.
Ahead of the elections, the MVA alliance has pledged a series of welfare measures, including a ₹3,000 monthly allowance for women, free state transport, loan waivers up to ₹3 lakh for farmers, and ₹4,000 monthly stipends for unemployed youth. Additionally, the MVA has promised health insurance coverage of up to ₹25 lakh and free medicines. In contrast, the BJP-led government currently offers ₹1,500 under the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme, with plans to increase the amount to ₹2,100.
