Narendra Modi to address 15 campaign meetings in Maharashtra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address over 15 campaign meetings in Maharashtra for the October 15 Assembly election, BJP said today after party President Amit Shah reviewed poll preparedness with senior state leaders. This is the first election in over two decades which BJP is contesting without an alliance with Shiv Sena. "We have asked for maximum rallies of Modi in Maharashtra. I am confident that he will address over 15 public meetings," state BJP President Devendra Fadnavis told reporters after the review meeting Shah had with senior party leaders.

All the remaining four parties of the erstwhile 'Mahayuti', a rainbow alliance which earlier included Shiv Sena, have decided to align with BJP, he said. The parties, including Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS), Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP) of Mahadeo Jankar, Vinayak Mete-led Shivsangram and Ramdas Athawale's RPI, have their own pockets of influence in the state. Athawale, who was earlier in talks with the Sena, today met BJP leaders and has been reportedly promised eight Assembly seats of the total 288.

"We will make seat allocation among allies public soon," Fadnavis said. BJP's election observer for Maharashtra Om Mathur, Fadnavis and other state BJP leaders were present. The alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra split on Thursday after failure of seat-sharing talks. Shah, who was to visit Mumbai on Thursday, had cancelled his trip and the same evening BJP announced its decision to snap the 25-year-old alliance with Sena.