Senior BJP leader Anurag Thakur has said the party's outreach in Lok Sabha seats held by the "real" Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde would only strengthen the ruling alliance in Maharashtra ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

Thakur's remarks came days after he visited Lok Sabha constituencies of Kalyan and Mumbai South Central, held by members of Eknath Shinde-led Sena faction Shrikant Shinde and Rahul Shewale respectively, giving the new alliance partner some anxious moments about their future in the general election.