Shiv Sena to launch statewide exercise to increase its presence

Shiv Sena's objective in organising the campaign is to defeat the 15-year-old Congress-NCP govt in the Assembly polls

The Shiv Sena will soon launch a statewide campaign for having “a party office in every village and a saffron flag atop every house” in the run-up to elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly slated for September-October.

The state-wide exercise is being planned from next week until July-end. The party’s objective in organising the campaign is to unfurl the saffron flag atop the Vidhan Bhavan (state legislature) by dislodging the 15-year-old Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government. The Sena, which rode on the Modi wave to win 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state, proposes to conduct a membership registration campaign while reaching out to all villages in 35 districts. Further, Shiv Sena shakhas (offices) will also appeal to citizens to register themselves in the voters’ lists being updated by the Election Commission.

The Shiv Sena has already declared that its president Uddhav Thackeray is the party’s candidate for chief minister. Incidentally, Uddhav has responded positively saying that he is ready to assume the chief minister’s post to fulfill the Shiv Sainiks’ desire.

Harshal Pradhan, who is Uddhav's spokesperson, told Business Standard: “Before the launch of the state- wide exercise, a two-day workshop of party office bearers up to the level of taluka chief is being organised from June 18 in Mumbai.  The party’s strategy for the Assembly elections will be discussed. Besides, party members will be asked to actively work to increase the Shiv Sena’s presence across the state ahead of Assembly poll.”

Pradhan made it clear that the Shiv Sena’s over 25-year-old alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would continue.  He however, said that seat-sharing talks would take place during the course of time.

However, a Shiv Sena leader, who is close to Uddhav, observed that the party would not succumb to the BJP's pressure tactics as it was prepared for hard bargaining.  “A section of the BJP is already carrying out a campaign that the party should get more Assembly seats, while some are pushing for the 144:144 seat- sharing formula to be finalised between the Shiv Sena and BJP. The Shiv Sena will do everything to protect its interest,” he noted.