‘Jan Ashirwad’ rally from July 18: Shiv sena

Mumbai: Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray will launch his ‘Jan Ashirwad’ rally on July 18 from Jalgaon. The tour assumes significance as Mr Thackeray is expected to contest the upcoming Vidhan Sabha election. He is also being touted as Shiv Sena’s candidate for the chief minister’s position.

Sena sources suggest the 29-year-old Thackeray scion will utilise the tour to ‘thank’ voters for backing the party in the Lok Sabha elections. The tour is widely expected to lay the ground for the party to maximise its seat tally in the upcoming Assembly election.

As per the schedule, Mr Thackeray will hold a rally in Malegaon on July 19 and two rallies in Nashik city on July 20 and 21, before moving to Ahmednagar the same day. On the last day of his tour, he will hold three rallies in Ahmednagar, Shrirampur and Shirdi Assembly constituencies respectively.

“We have decided to kickstart the tour from North Maharashtra, as we are expecting to win more seats in that region,” said Yuva Sena secretary Varun Sardesai, who is also Mr Thackeray’s cousin.

The route of the ‘Jan Ashirwad’ rally covers Lok Sabha seats that have been strongholds of the Sena, besides several Assembly segments that are usually contested by the party.