Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. file | Photo Credit: PTI
Ahead of the civic polls, the Balasahebchi Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, appointed a six-member team that would be responsible for organizational work in the state capital.
MPs Gajanan Kirtikar and Rahul Shewale, minister Deepak Kesarkar, deputy leaders Sheetal Mhatre and Asha Mamidi are part of the team, besides Mr Shewale’s wife Kamini Shewale.
“Our main target is the upcoming Mumbai civic polls which is likely to be held in a few months. We have to strengthen our cadre in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation [BMC] area,” said a senior leader of the Shinde faction.
He said that they would set up Shiv Sena shakhas in the city to strengthen the cadre as well as vote bank. There are hundreds of shakhas that Uddhav Thackeray currently owns.
“Apart from Marathi-speaking people, our people will reach out to non-Marathi areas, which were neglected by Thackeray for decades. If we are able to win their trust then winning BMC will not be an issue for us.
For more than 25 years, the Shiv Sena has been controlling Asia’s richest civic body. Apart from two of the three Shiv Sena MPs from Mumbai, six MLAs from the city are in the Shinde camp.