In his first diktat as second-in-command, he says such terms of endearment shouldn't be used anymore for senior or junior leaders
Aaditya Thackeray
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No more Dada, Mama, Nana or Bhai on Shiv Sena hoardings that we routinely come across on streets. This is the diktat that was issued on Thursday by the party's new number two, Aaditya Thackeray. Aaditya held his first meeting of Yuva Sena (youth wing) office-bearers of the city and rest of Maharashtra at Sena Bhavan yesterday. He told them that nicknames, or terms of endearment, or aliases for leaders senior or junior, shouldn't be used henceforth.
Sena leaders, or for that matter, majority of the leaders from all parties, get nicknames either from their parents or followers, and these are widely used in verbal and written communication. The names denote respect that the leaders command. In the Sena, many leaders go by these terms of endearment that are used more often than their registered names. Complications arise when leaders with similar nicknames gather at once place, or need to be addressed at official functions, or in authorised and unauthorised hoardings. To avoid confusion either the surnames or their respective cities are used.
A Yuva Sena office-bearer told mid-day that Aaditya was very specific in his directive. "This practice is rampant in our party and other parties as well. The usage of nicknames like Dadas and Bhais do not go well with the new general because of the connotations that these 'titles' carry," said the office-bearer, welcoming the change Aaditya has suggested.
Aaditya told his squad to get into election mode and fight the BJP's might. "I got into election mode on January 23 (the day of his appointment as leader) itself. And it's time you started preparing too, because elections can be held anytime," he said. Instilling confidence in the cadre, the Yuva Sena chief said that there would be no rolling back from a break-up with BJP. "We will fight alone and not go with anyone else," he said.
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