Thackeray to grassroots cadre: Poll codes in 41 days, reach out to masses

Mumbai: Cracking the whip, Shiv Sena (UBT) President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday that the model code of conduct for the Maharashtra assembly elections in October is likely to be announced in 41 days and called upon the party’s grassroots cadres to reach out to the masses at the village levels.

Speaking to the liaison heads of the party at various levels, Thackeray exhorted them to organise a ‘Saffron Week’ from August 4-11 all over the state and review the status and preparations of each Assembly constituency which must be submitted to the party headquarters in Mumbai.

He also asked them to undertake reviews of various programmes and remain present in the Assembly segment for at least two days in a fortnight for the next three-four months till the elections are over.

Thackeray has directed all the liaison heads of the party to undertake extensive tours of their respective regions along with other district and taluka level office-bearers, organise meetings right up to each Panchayat Samiti level, with the participation of the local party leaders/activists in those villages.

These liaison teams shall be expected to provide details of the party’s local influence like, how many Shiv Sena (UBT) active members are present in each village, the number of new voters registered, villages where the party has no branches or a significant presence and when this would be rectified.

Earlier this week, the other Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents Congress and Nationalist Congress (SP) also organised high-level meetings addressed by state-national leaders and initiated major efforts to reach out to the masses with the aim to oust the ruling MahaYuti government in the next elections.

Over the coming weeks, top MVA leaders including Congress state President Nana Patole, NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar and Thackeray, besides other smaller allies, shall embark on state-wide pre-election tours to drum up support of the masses ahead of the polls as their teams hammer out the contentious seat-sharing formula.