Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda offered prayers at Lalbaugcha Raja in Mumbai on Saturday. He was accompanied by BJP’s Mumbai unit President Ashish Shelar, former MLC Pravin Darekar, and Mangal Prabhat Lodha.
Later, he visited Chinchpokli ka Chintamani in Mumbai to seek blessings.
Earlier in the day, Nadda performed Ganesh puja at the official residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in south Mumbai as part of the ongoing Ganpati festival.
He also visited the official residence of Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis to perform puja.
Nadda's Mumbai visit is considered significant in the context of the upcoming state assembly elections, and there is speculation about possible meetings with BJP leaders during his stay.
The state is likely to go to the polls for the 288-member legislative assembly later this year, as the tenure of the current government ends in 2024. However, the Election Commission of India has yet to announce the election dates.
The upcoming elections will see a contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, which includes the UBT Shiv Sena, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, and the Maha Yuti Alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).