Mumbai, April 6: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Saturday that CM Eknath Shinde's son and Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde will contest from Kalyan in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The Deputy CM dismissed the speculations of a dispute in the Mahayuti alliance and said that Shrikant Shinde is the candidate of Mahayuti from Kalyan.

Mahayuti is an alliance of the BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Minister Sambhuraj Desai said that the announcement of Shrikant Shinde's name shows the unity in the Mahayuti alliance. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, State BJP Chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule Congratulate Ajit Pawar as Election Commission Recognises His Faction as NCP.

"This shows the unity amongst the people of Mahayuti. BJP and Shiv Sena are brothers, so today Devendra Fadnavis announced Shrikant Shinde from Kalyan Lok Sabha seat and all the leaders and workers of the BJP will be with Shrikant Shinde. This is the role of our Mahayuti and it is a good thing," he said. Exuding confidence in winning the Lok Sabha polls, the Shiv Sena leader said, "We will bring Modi ji once again with a margin of more than 400 seats. We all are with PM Modi." Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP Won’t Ally With Uddhav Thackeray, nor in Talks With Raj Thackeray, Says Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

Shrikant Shinde, a sitting MP, will take on Shiv Sena's (UBT) two-time corporator Vaishali Darekar from the Kalyan constituency. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20.

The counting of votes will be held on June 4. The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. Known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics.