Sena’s cadre is perceived to be lethargic in developing its base in constituencies that used to go to the BJP.
Mumbai: Days after its announcement to go solo in 2019, the Shiv Sena has begun making strategies to boost its presence in areas of Maharashtra where it has not traditionally been strong.
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has appointed four trusted leaders — Vishwanath Nerurkar, Arvind Nerkar, Ravindra Mirlekar and Dagdu Sakpal – as ‘samanvayaks’ or coordinators, assigning each one of them one region of the state to look after.
They are expected to oversee the party’s expansion in the respective regions and narrow the communication gap between the Sena high command in Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra.
“Often, the ground reports that Shiv Sena’s district-level functionaries convey to the top leadership are not in sync with the reality and that has at times cost the party politically,” a senior Shiv Sena leader told ThePrint, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The four coordinators will be an important link in accurately conveying the social and political situation at the grassroots to the top brass,” the leader added.
After increasing differences with its ally BJP, the Shiv Sena — which is still part of the NDA government at the Centre and the BJP-led Maharashtra government – passed a resolution earlier this week deciding to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha and assembly elections alone.
Thackeray heaped criticism on the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra as well as Prime Minister Modi, saying he won’t sit tight until he establishes the Shiv Sena’s saffron regime in the state.
The party’s cadre was perceived to be lethargic in developing its base in certain constituencies of Maharashtra that used to go to the BJP.
“It is going to be a big challenge, but if we start early, we can definitely have some impact in those areas,” the Sena leader said.
The Shiv Sena aims to increase its Lok Sabha seats to 25 from its current tally of 18 in 2019. Similarly, it is eyeing 150 assembly seats in the state election next year whereas its current strength is 63.
The Shiv Sena has traditionally been strong in urban centres such as Mumbai, Thane, Aurangabad and Nashik. It has a sizeable presence in the Konkan region and in north Maharashtra as well. However, the party’s weakest point is Vidarbha, where the BJP holds 44 of the 62 assembly seats, while the Sena has just four.
In Marathwada too, the BJP won 15 of the 46 seats in the 2014 polls, while the Sena got 11. The party needs to work on its presence in western Maharashtra too, which has typically been a Congress- NCP domain.
Accordingly, at the party’s national executive council, Thackeray appointed Nerkar as in charge of Vidarbha, Mirlekar as coordinator for north Maharashtra and Pune, Nerurkar for Marathwada, Ahmednagar and Solapur districts, and Sakpal for western Maharashtra.
Among the tasks given, the coordinators have been told to conduct surprise visits in the districts to ensure that the work is going on smoothly.
The party, which typically has an administrative mechanism right until the grassroots termed as ‘shakhas,’ will first focus on filling vacancies in key posts in this administrative system in rural Maharashtra.
“There are a number of positions of shakha pramukhs, upa-shakha pramukhs (deputy chiefs), gat pramukhs (group leaders) that are vacant,” said Sakpal, coordinator for western Maharashtra.
“In the districts that I oversee, about 40 per cent of the positions need to be filled. We will focus on that in the next one month,” he added.
Next, the Sena also aims to have one shakha in every village of Maharashtra, just as it has one shakha in every municipal ward in Mumbai and has set a tight deadline for its party workers of meeting this target by the end of March.
Every assembly constituency has anywhere between 90 and 150 villages under it, Sena sources said.
Starting next month, Thackeray will himself hit the road, meet Sena’s district chiefs to understand the current situation on the ground and give directions to strengthen the party’s cadre.
Moreover, the party also plans to give all its sitting parliamentarians a target of ensuring that they get Sena legislators elected in at least three assembly constituencies under their jurisdiction.
A very ambitious, audacious enterprise. If the SS fights on its own – and if the Congress and the NCP tie up, which seems likely – its Lok Sabha presence will be in the high single digit and it will be lucky to retain its 63 MLAs. The BJP will not fare much better, not get the 2 : 1 advantage it enjoys over the Sena. The Sena’s Marathi manoos plank – another way of expressing aversion to outsiders – plays well in Bombay and the adjoining areas. It finds little traction in the rest of the state. Its governance record in the BMC is also now well established.