Shiv Sena (UBT) begins silent campaign for Maharashtra Assembly election

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, Sachin Padwal, with party president, Uddhav Thackeray. File pic

After the Lok Sabha election, Shiv Sena (UBT) ground-level office bearers started a silent campaign for the Assembly election, called the ‘Pride of Maharashtra.' Former corporator of Sewri, Sachin Padwal, told mid-day, "We are meeting graduates and teachers voters to express our gratitude as our candidate won the Legislative Council election from these constituencies. During these meetings, we have started a silent campaign for the upcoming Assembly election. Mainly, we are focusing on employment and how industries are shifting from Maharashtra." "Industries were the pride of Maharashtra, but we saw, even people witnessed, that industries are shifting from Maharashtra. The state government is not succeeding in inviting new industries to the state," Padwal added.

Tukaram Patil, constituency head of Ghatkopar for UBT Sena, said, "We are always on the ground and have also started conducting meetings with ground-level party workers. We are asking them to highlight the work of the state government and BMC, mainly during the pandemic. We are also highlighting the work of our party chief Uddhav Thackeray during the pandemic when he was chief minister," Patil added. "Our party workers are also raising issues of employment and Maratha reservation, as the Marathi community is large in the constituency," Patil added. "We have not started a formal campaign, but our party workers are meeting voters, understanding their demands, and telling them what the party and former corporators did for the ward," Patil added.

Rajul Patel, former corporator of Jogeshwari West, said, "We have not formally started the campaign, but we are meeting people regularly. We are also meeting graduates and teachers voters to express our gratitude. During these meetings, we are understanding their needs and expectations from politicians as voters and citizens." During the 2019 Assembly election, the undivided Shiv Sena won in 14 constituencies of the city. The party was in alliance with the BJP. After the split in the party, six MLAs joined Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, while eight MLAs are still with UBT. In the recent parliamentary election, UBT fought in four Lok Sabha constituencies in the city and won three of them.