PM Modi may address 12 public rallies in Maha ahead of polls: Bawankule

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address 11 to 12 public meetings in Maharashtra ahead of the next month's assembly elections, BJP's state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said here on Friday.

Elections to the 288-member state assembly will be held on November 20 and the counting of votes will take place three days later. Addressing a press conference in the Bharatiya Janata Party's media office here, where former MLA Raju Todsam (from Arni in Yavatmal) and few other local leaders joined the party, Bawankule said, "PM Modi ji's public meetings are proposed to be held at 11 to 12 places across Maharashtra, including Gondia, Akola, Nanded, Dhule, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai." He added that in the next few days, more people are expected to join the Mahayuti alliance.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprises the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-helmed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). While it is trying to continue at the helm, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) grouping of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) is making all out effort to snatch power from it.