Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde accused some parties of using the 'Marathi' identity for political gain only before elections, asserting his government's focus on bringing Marathi people back to Mumbai through development projects like pothole-free roads and accelerated Metro construction. He also criticized attempts to create a Marathi-Gujarati divide. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) protested unopposed election victories in Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli, alleging misuse of government machinery and fraudulent rejection of opposition nominations.