As Maharashtra prepares for upcoming state elections, all eyes are on the Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), BJP, and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) In the midst of all this, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has fallen ill, leading to the cancellation of all his scheduled events for the day. This includes the important cabinet meeting, which has now been postponed. CM Shinde’s Solapur visit has also been canceled for the fifth time.
Reports indicate that CM Shinde is resting at his residence due to health issues. His Solapur visit, planned for today, has been called off, along with the crucial cabinet meeting, which was expected to address significant pre-election matters. CM Shinde was scheduled to depart from Mumbai airport at 11:30 AM for the "Vachanpoorti" (Promise Fulfillment) event in Solapur at 12:30 PM. Administrative preparations were in full swing, but due to his sudden illness, the event has been postponed.
Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are likely to lead the event in CM Shinde’s absence. Elections to the 288-member state assembly are likely to be held next month. In June 2022, Shinde and several other MLAs rebelled against the Sena leadership, leading to a split in the party and collapse of the Thackeray-led state government. Shinde later joined hands with the BJP to form government.