Mumbai: Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah is arriving in Mumbai on Saturday for a two-day visit to Maharashtra. Sources said that Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar and 15,000 party workers will escort the Union Home Minister from the airport to the Sahyadri Guest House where he will stay for the night.
During his visit, Shah is scheduled to present the Maharashtra Bhushan Award, the state's highest civilian honour to veteran social worker Nirupankar Appasaheb Dharmadhikari at Kharghar on Sunday, Apr. 16. Amit Shah's visit to Maharashtra comes ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and assembly elections, which are seen as a precursor to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
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Shah's visit gains significance amid the 'Vajramuth' meetings held by the Mahavikas Aghadi, the alliance among the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena and the NCP. Shah is scheduled to chair a crucial meeting of senior BJP leaders in the state on Saturday evening at the Sahyadri guest house.
The Maharashtra BJP is hoping that Amit Shah's visit to Mumbai could give the party a boost as the Mahavikas Aghadi has started building fronts with other political parties in the wake of the upcoming assembly, Lok Sabha and municipal elections. BJP has set a target of winning 45 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra this time.
Out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, as many as 6 seats are in Mumbai alone. Meanwhile Shiv Sena leader MP Sanjay Raut has taken a jibe at Shah's visit to Mumbai saying that the BJP was desperate at the unity among the MVA constituent parties. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is also visiting Matoshree to meet Uddhav Thackeray over opposition unity.
Shah has visited Maharashtra many times in the last three months. Meanwhile, strict flying and traffic restrictions are in place for Amit Shah's visit to Mumbai on Saturday and Sunday.
