Eknath Shinde’s first Ayodhya visit as Maha CM tomorrow

Eknath Shinde is scheduled to visit Ayodhya for the first time after becoming the chief minister of Maharashtra, on Sunday.

As part of his day-long visit, Shinde, who’s likely to be accompanied by 5,000 Shiv Sainiks, will pray before Ram Lalla, seek blessings of the saints on the Lakshman Tila ground and witness the aarti on the banks of river Saryu.

The posse of Shiv Sainiks will be reaching Ayodhya on Saturday evening by two trains, said Vikram Pratap Singh, the Uttar Pradesh in-charge of the party.

Shinde is expected to reach Lucknow on Saturday evening and meet his U.P. counterpart Yogi Adityanath. He will fly to Ayodhya in a helicopter the next day.

Shiv Sena national general secretary Abhijit Adsul and former mayor of Thane Naresh Mhaske have already reached Ayodhya to oversee the arrangements for Shinde’s visit.

According to political analysts, Shinde is following the footprints of Shiv Sena patriarch late Bal Thackeray, who had mentored him.

After a day-long visit to Ayodhya, Shinde will return to Lucknow from where he will leave for Mumbai.

Shinde had accompanied former Uddhav Thackeray on the latter’s two visits to Ayodhya as CM on November 24, 2018 and March 7, 2020.

Thackeray’s son Aditya had come to Ayodhya on a solo visit on June 15, 2022.

Shinde was officially appointed the 20th chief minister of Maharashtra on July 7, 2022 after toppling Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government.