On Mumbai visit, PM Narendra Modi meets Mahayuti MLAs over lunch, months after Maharashtra election victory
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a Mumbai visit, held a luncheon meeting with MLAs of the BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported. The meeting was held at Mumbai’s INS Angre Auditorium.
Among those present at the lunch meeting were Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar and most MLAs of the ruling Mahayuti government – a coalition of the BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena along with some smaller allies, PTI reported, citing unnamed sources.
The Mahayuti parties secured a whopping 230 out of 288 assembly seats in the Maharashtra assembly election held in November last year.
The meeting came after Modi, on the occasion of 77th Indian Army Day, commissioned three frontline naval combatants – INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vaghsheer – at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar and defence minister Rajnath Singh were also present at the event.
Dedicating the three frontline naval combatants to the nation, Modi, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) said that the commissioning “underscores India’s unwavering commitment to building a robust and self-reliant defence sector”.
“India is swiftly progressing towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy. This growth will require a significant demand for containers and ships. As a result, the port-led development model will not only accelerate economic growth but also create substantial employment opportunities. The rise in employment in this sector can be observed through the increasing number of Indian seafarers,” Modi said during the event.
“India has emerged as the first responder across the entire Indian Ocean region. In the last couple of months, our Navy has saved thousands of lives and secured national and international cargo worth millions, leading to increased trust in India from around the world,” he added.
PM Modi to inaugurate ISKCON temple
Later in the day, as a part of his packed schedule, Modi will go to Navi Mumbai to inaugurate an ISKCON temple in Kharghar area. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the ISKCON project inauguration is symbolic of his commitment to promote Indian culture.
Several routes have been closed for regular vehicular traffic in Navi Mumbai for the duration of the event to ensure smooth conduct and traffic flow. The traffic police of Navi Mumbai issued an advisory detailing which routes have been restricted, diverted and which areas have been marked as ‘no parking’ zones.
The ISKCON project, which is spread across nine acres, includes a temple with several deities, a vedic education centre, proposed museums and auditorium, and a healing centre among other things, said a statement by the PMO.
“It aims to promote universal brotherhood, peace, and harmony through Vedic teachings,” said the statement.