Eye on polls, Shiv Sena reaches out

Having learnt its lessons from the 2014 Assembly poll, where it had to contest solo following the split with ally BJP, Shiv Sena — which is part of the ruling alliance — has started preparation with the 2019 Assembly polls in mind.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has instructed his party leaders to visit the drought-affected districts, determine the lacunae in government schemes and allocate financial aid to farmers through the party fund.

Ravindra Waikar, Shiv Sena minister, said, “Uddhavji has assigned us the responsibility of various districts. The minister’s duty is to visit the assigned district, meet a few farmers who are in distress, counsel them and allocate a token amount from the party to them.”

He further said, “As of now, eight districts from the Marathwada region have been covered by Sena ministers. Senior party leader and minister Diwakar Raote, Ramdas Kadam, Subhash Desai have visited a few districts to understand the situation there. Later Uddhavji distributed some money to the farmers.”

Shiv Sena has covered Nanded, Aurangabad, Osmanabad, Beed, Latur and other districts in the last two months. On December 19 and 20, the Sena minister and a team of party legislators from the Khandesh region will visit Dhule and Nandurbar.

Shiv Sena has shortlisted the villages and families where the drought situation is severe and made a list of farmers who are in distress and are on the verge of suicide.

Mr Waikar said that the Sena ministers have held meetings with the district collector and tehsildar, collected information on the government schemes which are not being implemented properly, the lacunae in the schemes and the immediate needs of the farmers. The ministers prepare a fact report and submit them to Mr Thackeray, he said, who then distributes '10,000 to each family of the distressed farmers.

“Though the amount is not huge, it gives immediate relief and diverts his mind from committing suicide,” said Mr Waikar.

“As of today, more than 10,000 farmers have benefited from the Sena’s scheme,” he further added.

“Uddhavji has taken cognisance of our report. Once, we finish visiting the remaining parts of Vidarbha, Western Maharashtra and Konkan, the compiled report will be submitted to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis by Uddhavji,” Mr Waikar said.

He said the Sena was expecting Mr Fadnavis to consider the report which could guide the government in the implementation of its schemes.

“We are following Sena supremo late Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology who had encouraged us to focus 80 per cent on social responsibilities and 20 per cent on politics,” said Mr Waikar.

He admitted that the government had failed to give relief to the farmers and hence Sena was using the amount collected through the auction of Mr Thackeray’s photographs for farmers’ welfare.

He said the Sena had set sights on capturing power on its own the state in the 2019 Assembly poll. “As an independent party, everybody has the right to extend the base of his own party. The Sena is no exception to it,” said Mr Waikar.

“We want to work at the grassroots level and so have decided to start it now itself,” he added.