Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde flags off special train to Ayodhya, to visit UP temple town on April 9

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday flagged off a special train to Ayodhya carrying activists of his party Shiv Sena amid fanfare two days ahead of his own visit to the temple town in Uttar PradeshSporting a traditional saffron shawl Shinde accompanied by his son Kalyan Lok Sabha MP Srikant Shinde Kalyan unit incharge of the Shiv Sena Gopal Landge local leaders and hundreds of party activists showed the green flag to the train at Thane station around 440 pm amidst slogans of Jai Shri RamShiv Sainiks travelling by the special train which was well decorated with a Chalo Ayodhya board mounted in the front will welcome their leader when he lands in the town on SundayAmid blowing of trumpets and music bands playing the CM walked the entire stretch of the platform No 5 accompanied by hundreds of Shiv Sainiks carrying saffron flags with pictures of Lord Ram and the partys bow and arrow poll symbol printed on them They also displayed placards bearing pictures of Shiv Sena founder the late Bal ThackerayAlso Read Every govt medical college in Maharashtra to have affiliated nursing collegeShinde carried the flags and placards for some distance and entered train bogies and greeted passengers on their way to AyodhyaThe chief minister will leave for Lucknow on April 8 evening and visit Ayodhya the next day and perform aarti on the banks of the Saryu river according to an itinerary circulated among media personsI will visit Ayodhya on April 9 with my party ministers MLAs MPs and other functionaries Shinde said on Sunday lastThe Shiv Sena has released a teaser on social media with regards to Shindes visit to Ayodhya his first after becoming chief minister on June 30 2022 and a short video on his lifeFormer Thane Mayor and Sena spokesman Naresh Mhaske along with some other leaders are camping in the temple town to oversee arrangements for Shindes visit which is being seen as a mega show of strength by his party which remains locked in a bitter battle for supremacy with the rival Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb ThackerayShindes trip to Ayodhya where a grand Ram temple is coming up will be closely watched in political circles in Maharashtra as he seeks to establish himself as the true inheritor of Bal Thackerays legacy and reaffirms his Hindutva credentialsThe veteran politician was in the sacred city in June 2022 to make arrangements for thenCabinet minister Aaditya Thacekrays visit and the trip came just days ahead of his rebellion against the leadership of the undivided Shiv SenaThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever