Pune: Chief minister Eknath Shinde holds the record of addressing the highest number of rallies — 75 — across Maharashtra as he tried to project each of his party candidates since Shiv Sena is heading for its first electoral battle after a split in the party. Following closely, Union minister Nitin Gadkari held 72 rallies and roadshows between Nov 4 and 18, emerging as the most sought-after star campaigner among BJP stalwarts. He is way ahead of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who has 64 rallies to his credit, while party's state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule has ranked third with 27 rallies.
Before the campaigning ended on Monday, Bawankule had attended 58 rallies at Kamptee, the constituency from where he is contesting. Sources in Mahayuti said NCP candidates and former Congress leaders, who recently switched to BJP, preferred Gadkari's speeches because his talk of "development" was better suited for voters than Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath's "batenge to katenge" remark. NCP (SCP) chief and Baramati strongman Sharad Pawar spoke at 55 rallies, just two lesser than those of his rebel nephew, Ajit Pawar.
This is also the first assembly poll for both NCP factions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi covered 106 assembly constituencies in 10 rallies, while Union home minister Amit Shah covered 38 segments through 16 rallies. Several chief ministers from other states, where BJP and Congress are in power, also campaigned for Mahayuti and MVA candidates respectively.
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