Shah Joins Mumbai’s Ganesh Festivities, Meets Leaders

Union Home Minister Amit Shah immersed himself in Mumbai’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations on Saturday, visiting the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja pandal alongside Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, continuing his annual tradition. Arriving in the city on Friday night, Shah also held strategic discussions with state BJP leaders and met Fadnavis at his official residence, ‘Varsha,’ to strengthen party coordination amid ongoing political challenges.

Shah’s day began with a meeting at the Sahyadri Guest House, where he engaged with Shinde, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) joint general secretary Atul Limaye, Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan, and Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam. The talks focused on the Maratha quota agitation, led by Manoj Jarange-Patil, which has disrupted Mumbai’s traffic, and preparations for the upcoming vice-presidential election and Bihar assembly polls. Shah sought updates on the state’s response to the protests, with Fadnavis and Minister Ashish Shelar briefing him on efforts to address Maratha demands for a 10% OBC reservation without affecting existing quotas.

Accompanied by his family, Shah offered prayers at Lalbaugcha Raja, drawing thousands of devotees and causing temporary road closures around Parel. He later visited pandals in Bandra West (Shree Ganesh Mitra Mandal) and Andheri East (Azad Nagar Sarvajanik Utsav Samiti), reinforcing cultural ties. “Ganpati Bappa Morya,” Shah posted on X, sharing images of his prayers, which garnered widespread support from BJP supporters online, though some criticized the heavy security impacting local commuters.

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The visit, Shah’s first major public appearance in Mumbai since the BJP’s 2024 Lok Sabha setback, where its Maharashtra seats dropped from 23 to 9, underscores efforts to bolster the Mahayuti coalition ahead of local elections. Political analysts note Shah’s engagement aims to counter opposition narratives, particularly from Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, amid the Maratha protests. Shah’s departure, scheduled for 2 PM, follows a packed itinerary balancing cultural outreach with political strategy in a key state.

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