Aaditya Thackeray EVEN AS Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut announced on Sunday that the party will fight the Lok Sabha polls in the country under Aaditya Thackeray’s leadership, Sena leaders said party chief Uddhav Thackeray will continue to have a final word in the party though Aaditya will lead the party’s expansion outside Maharashtra to establish a national footprint.
Raut on Sunday said the party will contest the Lok Sabha election across the country under Aaditya Thackeray’s leadership. Aaditya, Raut and other Sena leaders were campaigning in Goa for assembly polls during the weekend. On Saturday, Aaditya, in Goa, said the party will contest all future polls from local bodies to Lok Sabha in all states.
“We have returned from Goa and now we will go to Uttar Pradesh. Aaditya ji will also go to UP and will campaign for the party candidates,” said Raut.
Sena leaders said the party chief will continue to have the final word in the party affairs but Aaditya, who will lead the party for the upcoming BMC elections, will be its face outside Maharashtra too. CM Uddhav Thackeray is recovering from the spine surgery he underwent in November and is undergoing physiotherapy sessions.
“Aaditya is our star campaigner. So far the Sena leaders and functionaries were working and campaigning outside Maharashtra. Now, the party’s baton for campaigning outside Maharashtra will be given to Aaditya but Uddhav Thackeray will continue to have the final word in the party affairs,” said a Sena leader.
Sources in Sena said the party’s ambition to expand the base outside Maharashtra have been emboldened after the party tasted victory in Dadra and Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha by-polls recently. This was the party’s first Lok Sabha victory outside Maharashtra since its inception five decades ago. Aaditya had also campaigned in Dadra and Nagar Haveli bypoll.
Vinay Shukla, the party’s coordinator for North India, said the Gujarat model has been exposed and the party will project the Maharashtra model at the national level.
“It is time to replicate the Maharashtra model at the national level. Under the leadership and vision of Aaditya Thackeray ji, Sena will increase its national footprint across the country. He is the modern and young face of the party and can attract youngsters to the party fold,” said Shukla.
In the past few years, the Sena has made no secret of its national ambitions with Sena leaders urging the chief minister and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to take up a role at the national level.
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