Pune: Uddhav Thackeray, traditionally focused on Mumbai, has limited his Pune visits to election campaigns and specific rallies. However, with the upcoming assembly elections in mind, he has now decided to establish a more permanent presence in Pune after many years.
During Saturday's camp, Thackeray aimed to ignite enthusiasm among Shiv Sainiks in his characteristic style, emphasizing the importance of winning seats from Pune, which has 21 constituencies, to ensure a Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief minister in the state.
The favorable outcome of the Lok Sabha elections for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra highlighted a supportive environment for the alliance.
In response, the BJP, which suffered a severe defeat, held a state convention in Pune, with Union Minister Amit Shah discussing strategies to improve the party’s assembly performance. Just 15 days after the BJP's convention, Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’s party held its camp in Pune, where Uddhav Thackeray responded directly to Amit Shah’s criticisms.
In recent years, the Shiv Sena has seen a decline in Pune. The last two assembly elections saw no Shiv Sena candidates elected from the city or the district.
To have a Shiv Sena chief minister again, the party needs to strengthen its presence in Pune city and district. Following the party split, even though the number of Shiv Sainiks joining the Shinde faction from Pune was low, Uddhav Thackeray’s faction has not yet given significant opportunities to new leaders from Pune.
Through this camp, Uddhav Thackeray aimed to eliminate the apathy among Shiv Sainiks in Pune and make them more aggressive. Sanjay Raut advised Shiv Sainiks to remain vigilant, stating that Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray should be their first choice, indirectly asserting a claim to the chief minister’s position.
Sushma Andhare openly claimed seats in Wadgaon Sheri, Hadapsar, and Kothrud in the city. Meanwhile, Bhaskar Jadhav attacked the BJP, trying to boost the morale of Shiv Sainiks through the camp.
