Shiv Sena announces ‘Mahavijay Samvad’ outreach campaign ahead of Maharashtra polls

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Thursday announced ‘Mahavijay Samvad’ – a public outreach campaign – for all assembly constituencies in Maharashtra to strengthen the party organisation and highlight the work done by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ahead of the state polls.

Addressing a news conference, Shiv Sena’s Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde said their women, youth and social media wings will be a part of the initiative starting Friday.

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will likely be held in November.

Under this campaign, he said, two party leaders will visit every assembly constituency in the state and hold public meetings.

Six assembly segments will be covered daily as part of the outreach programme, which will also include interactions at ‘shakhas’ (party offices).

Purvesh Sarnaik, the executive president of Yuva Sena, will start the campaign from the Bhiwandi Rural constituency, said Shrikant Shinde.

The women’s wing of the party has been tasked to take to the people flagship schemes like ‘Mukhymantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana Scheme’, which provides monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to eligible women, and the one that ensures free education to girls.

He said their social media wing chief Rahul Kanal will visit the assembly constituencies in Nandurbar, Nashik, Dhule, Shirdi and Ahmednagar districts as part of the outreach programme.

In the 2019 assembly elections, BJP bagged 105 seats, followed by undivided NCP (56) and Shiv Sena (54), and Congress (44). Since then, Shiv Sena has split, with one faction being led by Shinde and the other headed by Uddhav Thackeray.

Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP (under Ajit Pawar) are partners in the ruling Mahayuti coalition, while Thackeray's Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar and Congress form the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi.