Shinde visited the Bhosari residence of Mahesh Landge around 4 pm. (Express Photo)Eknath Shinde made his maiden visit as Maharashtra chief minister to the industrial city Pimpri-Chinchwad Saturday. He came down to console BJP MLA Mahesh Landge, who lost his mother around 10 days ago.
Shinde visited the Bhosari residence of Mahesh Landge around 4 pm. “He was at our residence for nearly 45 minutes… The CM expressed his grief over the death of our mother and paid his condolences,” said Kartik Landge, younger brother of Mahesh Landge.
Several BJP leaders and the Shiv Sena’s Shinde faction, including Maval MP Shrirang Barne, were present. “He interacted with all those who came after hearing his arrival at our residence,” Kartik said.
Members of the Shinde faction said the chief minister interacted with various leaders and sought their group’s position in the industrial city. “It was the chief minister’s first visit to Pimpri-Chinchwad. But it was not political. It was a visit to pay condolences to the Landge family,” said a leader.
Meanwhile, leaders from the Shinde camp said that they are happy with the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to freeze the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol of the Sena. They said their next fight is to get the poll symbol for their camp.
The EC’s interim order freezing the ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol of the Shiv Sena came ahead of the high-stakes Andheri (East) Assembly bypoll to be held on November 3. Also, it came days after the Supreme Court rejected the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena’s prayer to stay proceedings pending before the poll panel over a request by Eknath Shinde for recognition of his faction as the “real Shiv Sena” and permission to use the party’s ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol.