Shinde asks party workers not to attack alliance partners

MUMBAI: Chief minister Eknath Shinde during a meeting with his party leaders on Thursday at the National Sports Club Of India (NSCI) in Worli, asked his colleagues not to attack the alliance partners and to work in cohesion with them. The advice came after Pune Shiv Sena leader Vijay Shivtare attacked the Ajit Pawar over fielding his wife Sunetra in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency.

Sources in the party said Shinde is likely to take strong action against Shivtare, which could even lead to expulsion from the party, despite Shinde’s warning.

Even after Shinde spoke to Shivtare twice and told him to stop attacking the deputy chief minister, the latter continues to do. Shivtare has said he would contest independently. Ajit Pawar l ed NCP strongly objected to his remarks and warned that Shinde’s party would face similar opposition in his hometown, Thane, and his son Shrikant’s Lok Sabha constituency, Kalyan. With the top BJP leaders upset with the issue, Shinde has been Shinde to rein in his leaders.

Soon after his met with MNS president Raj Thackeray, Shinde attended the party meeting, where he laid down some election strategies. He told his leaders that their future depends on the work they put in for the Lok Sabha elections. While keeping in mind the internal dispute of the Mahayuti alliance consisting of Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP, over seat-sharing and candidate selection, Shinde asked party workers and leaders to resolve disputes with alliance partners immediately. “A 24x7 war room will be set up in Mumbai for elections, and party offices in each assembly constituency should report to the war room,” Shinde said.