A team of over 350 ‘hidden’ supporters working behind the curtains are playing a major role in keeping the Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in the loop about every significant incident that occurs in the state.
According to sources in the party, Mr Thackeray receives information on every important incident in Maharashtra within 15 minutes of its occurrence. This was reflected in some of the issues that the Sena addressed in public including the matters of former AG Shrihari Aney and the ongoing gold traders and jewellers’ protest.
According to a senior party leader who requested anonymity, Mr Thackeray had often been speaking on major issues in the state after receiving crucial details from this special team of his. “Uddhavji has spoken on current major issues including his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as on Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over drought, chanting of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, former advocate general Shrihari Aney’s stand on separate statehood after getting inputs from these sources,” the leader said. “The team includes party MP Anil Desai, MP and executive editor of party’s mouthpiece Saamana and media advisor Harshal Pradhan along with around 350 resource persons who work for the Sena without identifying themselves,” he said.
Confirming the existence and functioning of such a team, Mr Pradhan said, “We get minute-to-minute happenings across the state at the data centre at Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar.” The information covers both political and social issues such as drought and farmers’ suicide, the quotes of political leaders etc., he said.
“We segregate the issues into various sections according to its seriousness and urgency. All updates are forwarded to party chief Uddhav Thackeray after every 15 minutes and later we narrow down the issues that the party needs to take a stand on and also the nature of the stand,” said Mr Pradhan.
He agreed that he has a team of more than 350 people from Chanda to Banda (across the state) who keep him updated about the issues in the state regularly.
“The team includes individuals who think along the ideologies of the Shiv Sena but do not want to come into the limelight. They work behind the curtains but provide me information on every relevant activity in the state,” said Mr Pradhan.
Elaborating on the result of maintaining such a team, Mr Pradhan said that thanks to the information provided by the team, Mr Thackeray came to know about the statements made by Mr Aney about the division of the state and a separate Vidarbha.
Accordingly, the Sena chief had asked senior party leader and minister for environment Ramdas Kadam to not allow business in the House in the ongoing Budget Session until (former) AG Shrihari Aney was asked to step down from his post.
“The same thing happened with gold and jewellers’ association,” said Mr Pradhan.
According to Mr Pradhan, the Sena chief stays in constant communication with his team. He also speaks with MP Sanjay Raut and decides the line of editorial of Saamana.
