Narendra Modi to inaugurate projects in Mumbai, Pune today; but ally Shiv Sena likely to make visit uncomfortable

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s day-long visit to Maharashtra is scheduled for Tuesday during which he will launch infrastructure and housing projects worth around Rs 41,000 crore in the state.

Soon after landing in Mumbai, Modi will attend an event organised by a TV channel and later unveil the book Timeless Laxman at Raj Bhavan. The prime minister will then lay the foundation stone for the Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro 5 and Dahisar-Mira Bhayander Metro 9 at Kalyan in the adjoining Thane district.

File phot of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. @MEAIndia/Twitter

The Kalyan event will also see the launch of Navi Mumbai town planning authority — City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra's (CIDCO) — mass housing scheme worth Rs 18,000 crore, which offers around 89,771 affordable homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Related Articles

Modi in Sydney: How PM spelled out 'C-D-E' of India-Australia friendship

Nepal PM Pushpa Kumar Dahal to visit India next week to hold bilateral talks with PM Modi

Modi will later proceed to Pune, where he will lay the foundation stone for the third metro line between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar, being implemented by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority on a public-private partnership basis.

The Rs 8,313-crore 23-kilometre-long third Metro line in Pune between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar will connect the busy information technology part of the city with Shivajinagar, where the other two Metro lines will also join. Modi will fly to Delhi from Pune on Tuesday night.

Shiv Sena-BJP rift widens

However, the rift between alliance partners Shiv Sena and the BJP widened with the Uddhav Thackeray-led party deciding to skip the project inaugurations by Modi on Tuesday.

According to reports, Shiv Sena leaders, who have been extended invitations to the events in Kalyan and Pune, were likely to skip the ceremonies since the BJP was absent at Uddhav Thackeray’s ‘bhumi-pujan' on Sunday. The event was for the ground-breaking of the Rs 12,000-crore coastal road project in Mumbai.

A report by News18 said, “The relations between BJP and Shiv Sena have been uncomfortable at best with the saffron party’s recent electoral losses giving more room to Thackeray to flex his muscles in the alliance ahead of the General Election. Political observers have said that the Sena may also be mulling snap Assembly polls in Maharashtra to capitalise on the BJP’s losing streak.”

With inputs from agencies