Maharashtra minister Sanjay Bansode calls for strengthening of Bharatiya Janata Party-led 'Mahayuti' ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections

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Maharashtra minister Sanjay Bansode Sunday appealed people to strengthen Mahayuti (grand alliance) of Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) and make a resolve to elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third term in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a rally of Mahayuti partners in Latur, Bansode said the prime minister is working for the development of all castes and religions, newswire PTI reported.

"Workers of Shiv Sena, BJP, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP should strengthen the Mahayuti at the district, tehsil, village and booth levels," the minister of sports and youth welfare said.

While Uddhav Thackeray never stepped out of his residence when he was the chief minister during the COVID-19 pandemic, his deputy Ajit Pawar worked round-the-clock to help people, he said and also hailed the leadership of incumbent chief minister Eknath Shinde.

Bansode, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar camp of NCP, also claimed that the erstwhile MVA government created hurdles in the implementation of a water grid scheme for the Marathwada region, announced by Devendra Fadnavis when he was the chief minister.

He said Modi should become PM again after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections given the development works and welfare schemes launched by his government over the last ten years.

Meanwhile, in a setback for Congress in Mumbai ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections, former Union minister Milind Deora Sunday quit the party "to walk the path of development" and joined the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, ending a "55 years old association" of the Deora family with the Grand Old Party.

With Deora resigning just before the start of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the Congress alleged that the timing of the announcement of his departure from the party was determined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for headline management to counter the yatra, and asserted that it would have no impact.

The former Mumbai South MP announced his decision to resign from the primary membership of the party on social media platform X in the morning hours on Sunday.

"Today marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in my political journey. I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress, ending my family's 55-year relationship with the party. I am grateful to all leaders, colleagues and karyakartas for their unwavering support over the years," Deora stated.

He later went to Siddhivinayak Temple in Prabhadevi to offer prayers.

In the afternoon, Deora joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of Eknath Shinde in a function at Varsha, the official residence of the chief minister.

Earlier in the day, when Deora stepped out of his residence 'Ramalayam' in south Mumbai, he told reporters that he was "going to walk on the path of development".

Deora, who was recently appointed the joint treasurer of the All India Congress Committee, had expressed disapproval at the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) staking a claim to the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency which he had represented in the past.

The undivided Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant, now with the Thackeray faction, had defeated Deora in the 2014 and 2019 general elections.

Deora was also the head of the Mumbai Congress at one time. He is the son of party stalwart late Murli Deora.

After Deora announced his resignation on X, Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad said it was unfortunate that he had quit the party on the day when the Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' commences from Manipur.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole called it a ploy by the Bharatiya Janata Party to divert the attention from the Yatra and mocked Deora as a "twice defeated candidate".

Former chief minister Ashok Chavan said Deora wanted to contest from the Mumbai South constituency but the (Maha Vikas Aghadi) alliance's understanding is that the sitting MP must not be disturbed.

"The BJP was spreading rumours that the Congress will split. Now the BJP and its allies are taking along with them a twice-defeated candidate to divert attention from the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. This attempt will not be successful," Patole said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, however, said there would be no compromise on the Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat.

"Arvind Sawant is a two-time MP (of Shiv Sena-UBT). What is wrong with him contesting again? There will be no compromise on this," Raut asserted.

In a swipe at BJP, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule asked if the saffron party had no talent of its own.

Asked about Deora's resignation, Sule said the BJP and its allies were becoming the Congress, an apparent reference to leaders from the grand old party switching allegiance to the ruling side. (With inputs from PTI)