Ahead of Assembly polls, Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray began the first phase of his ambitious five-day Jan Ashirwad Yatra from Pachora in Jalgaon district on Thursday
Mr. Thackeray claimed that his 4,000 km tour, intended to shore up the Sena’s base, was to “build a new Maharashtra” and was not merely being undertaken for electoral gains or to seek votes for Assembly elections.
“For me, this [tour] is akin to a pilgrimage to build a new Maharashtra. It is to seek the blessings of the public who have showed faith in us and to thank the hard work of those Shiv Sainiks whose efforts helped us win 18 Lok Sabha seats in the State. One need not wait for any auspicious moment to thank all those who voted for us…My grandfather, [the late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray], had he been alive, would have advised me to do the same,” he said, adding that the rationale behind his tour was to understand and help resolve the problems faced by citizens in the rural hinterland.
He also exhorted party workers to go out and conquer the hearts and minds of the people.
Lavishing praises on the young Mr. Thackeray, Sena spokesman and MP Sanjay Raut said the Yuva Sena chief was “an extremely promising leader indeed” and said that Mr. Thackeray would be the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate if the polls favoured the Shiv Sena.
“Maharashtra requires a new face and Aaditya Thackeray has all the qualities to lead the State,” said Mr. Raut.
Mr. Thackeray will be interacting with a cross section of citizens of every vocation — farmers, students, businessmen, labourers — during his tour through Jalgaon, Nashik, Dhule and Ahmednagar districts.
With the BJP and the Sena contesting independently in the 2014 Assembly elections, the Sena had managed to win only 63 seats.
“Despite reiterations that their alliance is sealed, there is a significant section within the BJP that feels no need to take the Sena along. With Narendra Modi’s spectacular win in 2014 and consolidation in this year’s general elections, the roles of the BJP and the Sena have been reversed to such an extent in the State that the latter has to seriously think of retaining its base outside Mumbai,” says a city-based analyst.
He also pointed out that the itinerary of the tour was chalked out to focus on those particular areas in Jalgaon and the other districts which once used to be Sena strongholds.
As per his schedule, Mr. Thackeray will be holding rallies in Malegaon and Nashik district, and two more in Nashik city. Three more rallies are slated in Ahmednagar district.
