Close aides of Raj Thackeray are busy setting pace for not only Raj’s upcoming state tour, but also the party’s set-up and functioning.
The battleground is set and the men are on the field. Estranged Shiv Sena leader Raj Thackeray may be taking his own time to come out of his political vacation and announce his new political outfit, but his close aides are busy setting pace for not only Raj’s upcoming state tour, but also the party’s set-up and functioning.
Even as Raj kicks off the first leg of his state tour on January 16 from Thane, close aides like Shirish Parkar, Manoj Chavan, Vinay Bhoite and Dilip Kadam are already touring Jalgaon, Dhule and Nandurbar to check the party cadre and gauge the mood of the people. “We have made a detailed list of issues facing the region. The response has been tremendous,” asserts Parkar.
Till 1992, Parkar, an MBA, had been a regular traveller in the region to garner support for a young Raj, the then president of the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena, the student faction of the Sena. “It’s like meeting old friends, who are coming up with many new ideas,” he told DNA.
In the coming week, many leaders given regional briefs will set out on their tours.
These include Praveen Darekar, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of building the new organisation in the Marathwada region; Sanjay Chitre, who will monitor the groundwork in Amravati, Akola and Buldhana districts; Manoj Chavan, who will also travel to western Maharashtra to garner support for Raj; and Sanjay Ghadi, who will be in charge of Konkan. Most leaders are asking locals to bring a written list of supporters and also state the role they want to play in the new set-up.
Significantly, another Raj aide, Ashish Kulkarni, is working on the constitution of the party. Widely networked, Kulkarni will play a key role. He has the experience of running the Sena party office, Shivalaya, during his last tenure as the general secretary of that party.
Raj’s close aide Atul Sarpotdar is networking with Sena MPs, while senior leader Rajan Shirodkar is busy following up the Matoshree Realtors mill land case in the Supreme Court.
Equally busy are Arvind Gawde and Yeshwant Killedar, who have their eyes set on city colleges, where forms have been circulated amongst students asking them what they expect from Raj’s new party.
Giving crucial central control to the travelling leaders is Manoj Hate, whose main job is to ensure that there is no overlapping of itineraries. And holding fort for Raj in the city is Sandeep Dalvi, who is managing his appointments and media interactions.
“Finally, the systems are getting into place for the new party. Everyone knows the importance of tours and there is no time to breathe!” quips a Raj camp insider.
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