Divine Intervention & Electoral Ambitions: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde Pilgrims To Kamakhya Devi Temple Before Assembly Elections

Mumbai: It’s that time of the year again— when politicians trade party strategies for temple blessings, hoping that the divine will fix what polls and policies cannot. Kalyan's Lok Sabha MP, Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, kicked off the spiritual dash on October 17 by scoring VIP access to the Mahakal temple’s sanctum sanctorum. God knows, quite literally, that he could use some cosmic intervention. But young Shinde isn’t the only one seeking divine direction. His father, CM Eknath Shinde, has jetted off to Guwahati’s famed Kamakhya Devi temple, undoubtedly hoping the goddess will lend her divine hand in solving the state’s latest political puzzle.

With elections fast approaching and the opposition full of zest, it's high time for a few blessings—or so it seems. After all, who can forget when the Chief Justice of India sought divine guidance ahead of the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict? The highest court of the land and the highest powers of the universe working in tandem—that's the level of reassurance every politician dreams of. And if it worked for the CJI, surely Eknath Shinde figures it might just work for him, too.

A Playbook That Comes With Divine Footnotes

Shinde’s political playbook seems to come with divine footnotes—blessed by none other than Kamakhya Devi. Two and a half years ago, when he engineered his grand mutiny against the united Shiv Sena, the first stop was Surat, followed by a quick pilgrimage to Guwahati and Kamakhya Devi, loyal MLAs in tow. After snagging Maharashtra’s top seat, he made sure to pay another visit to the goddess— along with his MLAs, of course. And now, with the Assembly elections looming, it looks like someone’s gearing up for yet another divine intervention.

Opposition Sharpens Its Swords

The opposition is sharpening its swords, the BJP is adamant about holding onto multiple seats, and negotiations over vexing constituencies are making even seasoned politicians sweat. Shinde could use all the spiritual help he could get. With Assembly elections just around the corner, the stakes have never been higher. This will be Shinde's first election since splitting from Shiv Sena, and while the Lok Sabha elections went better than expected for his faction, state elections are an entirely different battlefield.

The Chief Minister is pulling out all the stops—on October 24, he’ll file his nomination from Thane’s Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency. But before that, it's temple time. With faith on one hand and political ambition on the other, Shinde is hoping for a blessing, a miracle, or at the very least, a favorable swing in the polls. Because in Maharashtra, when all else fails, there’s always the gods.