Thackeray targets Shrikant Shinde’s LS seat, asks supporters to fight for victory

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray urges party cadre to fight for Kalyan Lok Sabha seat, aiming to win with support from INDIA alliance.

Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday exhorted the party cadre to fight the poll battle for the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat with an aim to win it. The sitting MP from this seat is Shrikant Shinde, son of chief minister Eknath Shinde.

Mumbai, India - Sept. 1, 2023: Congress leader KC Venugopal and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray arrive to attend the Opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders meeting, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, September 1, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

“The party has been winning the seat since 1996 and even the delimitation in 2009 could not stop us. This proves we have strength in the constituency. Besides, we will now get support from the other partners in INDIA alliance and we can get votes in new areas as well. So, without thinking who is where, fight the poll with an aim to win it,” Thackeray told the office-bearers after reviewing the preparations in the constituency.

Thackeray also asked the office-bearers to complete the process of appointing gat pramukh who looks after the voters’ list at the ground level and other booth-level workers as soon as possible.

“Though the current MP Shrikant Shinde has won the last two elections, we bagged the seat in 2009. Except parts of Dombivli where there are loyal BJP voters, we have a strong base from Ambernath to Kalwa. Now due to the INDIA alliance, we expect to get votes in areas like Mumbra too. So, there is a possibility that we can win the seat as per the wish of the party president,” a party office-bearer from Kalyan-Dombivali said.

The Sena (UBT) president began preparations for the Lok Sabha poll after August 15. Last month, he took stock of the situation in north Maharashtra and western Maharashtra. He is covering Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Konkan this week. On Tuesday, he visited Thane and Kalyan. Thane is represented by Sena (UBT) MP Rajan Vichare.