Mumbai, Nov 19 (NationPress) Amidst the growing rifts among the MahaYuti allies during the ongoing elections for nagar parishads and nagar panchayats, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde journeyed to Delhi on Wednesday to meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to present the case for Shiv Sena.

Simultaneously, Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, along with party Working President Praful Patel, conferred with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss reinforcing party unity with BJP within the MahaYuti alliance, particularly concerning the elections for the 32 zilla parishads and 29 municipal corporations.

A minister from the Shinde camp confirmed the visit to Delhi, indicating that Shinde aims to discuss with the Home Minister about strengthening the MahaYuti's foothold during these local elections, often referred to as mini assembly polls.

Shinde was unavailable for comment.

This trip follows a boycott by Shiv Sena ministers of a weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, reflecting their discontent with BJP's strategy to attract party leaders for local elections.

While Shinde camp ministers attempted to downplay the significance of their absence from the cabinet meeting, their frustration towards the BJP's aggressive recruitment efforts, particularly in traditional strongholds like Thane, Kalyan, Dombivli, Konkan, and parts of Western Maharashtra, was evident.

During their meeting, Shinde camp ministers expressed their concerns to the Chief Minister regarding BJP's attempts to absorb Shiv Sena leaders. The Chief Minister reassured them that the BJP would cease efforts to recruit leaders from its allies, including Shiv Sena and NCP.

However, he noted that this situation began after Shiv Sena attracted some BJP leaders ahead of the local elections.

In the meantime, Pawar and Patel reaffirmed their unwavering support for the consolidation of MahaYuti.

A senior leader from NCP remarked, "This meeting exemplifies the ongoing camaraderie between BJP and NCP and reflects the friendly relations between the two parties. NCP has not actively attempted to recruit BJP leaders, demonstrating a commitment to projecting unity within the MahaYuti and avoiding giving the opposition any leverage during the local elections."

A NCP minister indicated that while the ruling allies might struggle to collaborate during the elections, they plan to unite post-results to reinforce the MahaYuti governance.