MUMBAI, 15 SEPTEMBER, 2024 (GPN): Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde while attending a press meet at his Varsha Bungalow on Sunday said, “The state assembly polls are expected to be held in the second week of November and seat-sharing among the ruling allies would be finalised in the next 8 to 10 days.

“Elections are likely in the second week of November. A two-phase election would be preferable. Merit and good strike rate will the criteria for seat-sharing among the Mahayuti allies,” the CM said.

Shinde remarked that the government strongly support women and asserted that his government is of the common man.Shinde said 1.6 crore women have so far got financial assistance under the government’s Ladki Bahin scheme. “We plan to reach out to 2.5 crore women,” the CM said.

BJP is insisting on contesting between 150-160 seats. If it happens, the NCP and Shiv sena will only get 128-138 seats between them.

“We have struck a balance between development and welfare schemes. The appointment letters have been given to 1.5 lakh youth for jobs under the skilled training programme for which they will get a stipend from Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 10,000. The target is to cover 10 lakh youth,” the CM said.

In Maharashtra, in the general elections the BJP’s seat count reduced to just nine. Shinde’s Shiv Sena won seven while Ajit Pawar’s NCP could bag just one seat.

On the other hand, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi won 30 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra. The Congress bagged 13 seats while NCP (SP) bagged eight and Shiv Sena (UBT) clinched nine seats.

After the 2019 Maharashtra election results, the BJP and undivided Shiv Sena parted ways over the chief minister’s post issue. The Sena joined hands with Congress and undivided NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state.

In 2022, Shinde rebelled against then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, also the Sena chief. The then urban development minister along with 39 other Sena MLAs camped at a hotel in Guwahati and later in Goa, reducing the Aghadi government to a minority.

Talking at Varsha his official residence Shinde also said his government aims to make Mumbai slum-free and ensure affordable housing for all.

All government agencies, like the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), have been roped-in for the redevelopment of slums, the CM added.