Mumbai: After losing the party’s traditional name ‘Shiv Sena’ and the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol to the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier this month, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has launched a campaign to strengthen its administrative base at the grassroots. The exercise has been branded as ‘Shiva Garjana’.
Multiple teams of about five or six functionaries, comprising party leaders, and deputy leaders, MPs and MLAs, have set out across Maharashtra to tour each of its 36 districts, multiple Sena (UBT) leaders said.
“The teams are taking stock of the party’s strength on the ground, holding meetings with local-level functionaries, and explaining to them the legal process that is underway after the Election Commission’s order,” a senior Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary told ThePrint on condition of anonymity.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT)’s campaign to strengthen itself at the grassroots comes less than two weeks after the EC allotted the name ‘Shiv Sena’ and the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol to the rebel faction led by Shinde.
In June last year, Shinde led a rebellion of a majority of Shiv Sena’s MLAs, causing the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government functioning under Thackeray as chief minister to fall. The MVA comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress. Shinde then joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a government in the state, claiming the chief minister’s chair for himself.
Also Read: ‘Sambhajinagar, Dharashiv’: Boost for Shinde as Modi govt approves renaming of 2 Maharashtra cities
‘Time to figure out who left with rebels’
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said party leaders, and deputy leaders as well as sampark pramukhs (communication chiefs) have branched out to various districts across Konkan, Vidarbha, and Marathwada, among others.
“After whatever has unfortunately happened, the rural functionaries, the grassroots Shiv Sainik needs to be given some strength, some reassurance. This Shiv Garjana campaign will do exactly that,” he said.
Raut added, “In our experience so far, the leaders who have already reached the ground are getting a lot of support from party workers and people there. We may not have the name or symbol any more because of the EC’s mischief, but people are firmly with Matoshree and Thackeray.”
Matoshree is the residence of the Thackeray family in Mumbai’s suburban Bandra.
A second party functionary who did not wish to be named said the outreach campaign is a good opportunity for the Shiv Sena (UBT) to take stock of local-level functionaries who are still with the party.
“Whether we like it or not, we have to admit that there has been a vertical split in the party. Now is the time to figure out exactly who has stayed with us and who has left with the rebels even at the ground level. There may be people on the fence with inaccurate or incomplete information, we will put facts in front of them,” the functionary said, adding the visits will also help the Shiv Sena (UBT) publicise its new name and the flaming torch symbol, which the EC has temporarily allowed the party to use.
Following the visits by teams of party leaders and observers, Uddhav Thackeray plans to address rallies across Maharashtra with the first tentatively scheduled for 5 March at Khed in Konkan’s Ratnagiri district.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: Shiv Sena national executive appoints Eknath Shinde mukhya neta, invests him with ‘all powers’