Shiv Sena launches yet another programme to woo women voters

The Shiv Sena on Monday kick-started the ‘Pratham Ti’ (she first) programme in Parbhani to reach out to the women across the state and address their issues. This is the party’s second such initiative after the ‘Mauli Samwad’ programme that was launched in August.

The party has entrusted the charge of the ‘Pratham Ti’ programme to 20 women Sena leaders to hold phase-wise meetings across 25 districts of the state.

The first phase of the programme will be conducted between September 9 and 11 and will be held in Parbhani, Nanded, Solapur, Aurangabad and Osmanabad.

With the state Assembly polls a month away, the Sena has already started reaching out to various voter bases. Under the ‘Mauli Samwad’ programme, Sena secretary Aadesh Bandekar, a popular Marathi television personality, holds a dialogue with women from different parts of the state, addressing their issues.

The party had launched the ‘Aaditya Samwad’ programme in August, where Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray interacts with the youth of the state and answers their questions.

Sena leaders said that the ‘Pratham Ti’ initiative will take ‘Mauli Samwad’ forward and reach out to women from all economic and social backgrounds to know their challenges and demands.

“We intend to make women a part of the Shiv Sena, whether it is through joining the party, or by participating in shaping the policy and manifesto. We will create awareness about what the Sena has been doing and our stand on various issues. We are asking them to give their perspective so that we can engage better with them not just in policy-planning but also in the political space,” said Priyanka Chaturvedi, deputy Sena leader.

A Sena functionary said that women constitute about half of the voters in the state, and the ‘Pratham Ti’ programme will attract this huge voter base.