New Delhi : On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold an election campaign rally in Pune to support the Mahayuti candidates from the city and its neighboring area of Pimpri-Chinchwad. The rally, which will take place at SP College ground at 5pm, has gained the attention of many observers who are keen to see if Modi will launch an attack on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar. So far, Modi has refrained from personally targeting Pawar during his campaign for the Maharashtra assembly polls. This shift in strategy is significant as during the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, Modi's "Bhatakti Aatma" remarks had a negative impact on Mahayuti's performance in some constituencies. NCP leaders had also capitalized on this statement during that time. In response, Pawar had famously stated that this "atma" or soul will continue to haunt Modi.

Minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol has expressed hope that Modi's rally will create a positive atmosphere for all the candidates in Western Maharashtra, which comprises of 58 seats in five districts. Out of 21 seats in Pune city and district, 18 are currently held by Mahayuti.

In his previous campaign rallies, Modi has largely avoided targeting Pawar and instead focused on attacking Congress for disrespecting the Constitution, promoting caste-based divisions, and engaging in rampant corruption.