<
div id=”pcl-full-content”>As a part of the ongoing celebrations to commemorate the completion of nine years of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the Centre, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a rally in Nanded on Saturday. Shah’s visit assumes importance as it coincides with the rising communal clashes in Maharashtra and the growing bitterness between the ruling and Opposition parties.
State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “Shah will arrive in Nanded to address a public rally. It is a part of the outreach programme organised to celebrate the nine years of the Narendra Modi government.”
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Notably, there has been a spurt in the number of communal clashes in Akola, Kolhapur, Dhule and Ahmednagar in the last few days. BJP insiders said Shah will certainly speak on the state development’s but will also convey a strong socio political message.
A senior BJP vice-president requesting anonymity said, “With Lok Sabha and the 2024 Assembly elections approaching, the ruling BJP cannot afford any law and order problems in Maharashtra, which is the economic capital of India.”
Till now, at least 14 Union ministers, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, have visited Maharashtra to celebrate Modi’s nine years in the Centre.
Maharashtra is an important state with 48 Lok Sabha seats and BJP’s top leadership is putting all efforts to maximise its electoral gains.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had won 23 seats. Its ally Shiv Sena had got 18 seats. Now, with Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) as an alliance partner and Maha Vikas Aghadi putting up a united front, BJP is up for a challenge to meet its ambitious target of 42 plus out of the 48 seats in Lok Sabha.
However, there seems to be no end to the growing tensions between the ruling and Opposition factions. On Friday, BJP’s Pravin Darekar said, “Whenever Sharad Pawar led NCP is in the Opposition, there are riots.” The BJP leader’s terse remark came shortly after NCP sought investigation and action for threat issued to Sharad Pawar. The NCP leader received a life threat from an unknown individual. The NCP has also approached the police commissioner.
On Saturday, NCP state president Jayant Patil said, “It is evident that there is a deliberate attempt to create communal tensions. When someone showed posters of Aurangzeb in a public rally, why did the police not take immediate action? Why were they allowed? Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a statement three days after the incident. What does this show?”
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