Pawar to hit the road as part of ‘mass connect’

MUMBAI:  NCP chief Sharad Pawar has decided to hit the road once again to gather public support. The 81-year-old leader has also asked his party leaders to reach out to people, especially in districts like Thane and Pune that elect the maximum MLAs.

“We have been told to focus on areas where the NCP is weak, and constituencies where Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s camp has a strong presence,” an NCP leader told this newspaper about the meeting held by Pawar with the cadre on Monday. Talking to his party men, the veteran leader said that he would travel to the masses, and expressed confidence that the people of Maharashtra are with them, the source further revealed.

“There is an anti-incumbency mood in the state. People have not liked the way the government was toppled by using the central machinery and money. So they will surely teach a lesson to Shinde and BJP in the upcoming elections. We are preparing ourselves for the local body elections that can be announced by this year-end,” the NCP leader added.

Jitendra Ahwad, former housing minister and senior NCP leader, said they are blessed to have got Pawar as their leader. “He is someone who always wants to remain with people. He wants to go back to them whether we are in power or not. It inspires us and motivates us to do the same,” he added.

NCP MLA Rohit Pawar, who is the grandson of Sharad Pawar, also said that he gets mesmerised after seeing the senior leader’s energy. “Pawar saheb is truly a young man. He has an indomitable spirit to fight, and works the entire day without any complaint of tiredness. The youth also get attracted towards NCP due to our leadership,” Rohit said.

BMC polls: BJP woos Konkani voters 
With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections looming ahead, the BJP is trying to create a deeper imprint in Shiv Sena’s core Marathi-Konkani vote bank. The party provided them free train and bus rides on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi to visit their native places in the Konkan region. Mumbai residents hailing from Konkan have been hardcore Sena supporters. The BJP arranged several trains and buses, named after PM Narendra Modi, for the purpose, BJP MLA Nilesh Rane said. Over 5,000 people availed this facility, he added. “Ganesh festival is an integral part of Konkan people’s lives, who go to their home towns to celebrate it with their relatives,” Rane said, adding that getting tickets is, however, difficult during this time. “This year, we asked people to register at our offices or websites to streamline the process,” Rane said. Meanwhile, BJP’s Ravindra Chavan, the state roadways minister, inspected the Mumbai-Goa highway and asked the public works department to ensure repairs. ENS