‘Sena has lost confidence’

With just a week to go for the Kalyan Dombivli polls, campaigning at the twin townships is frantic with all the political parties holding rallies and road shows. The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) put aside differences and put on a show of unity at a grand rally on Sunday.

With just a week to go for the Kalyan Dombivli polls, campaigning at the twin townships is frantic with all the political parties holding rallies and road shows. The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) put aside differences and put on a show of unity at a grand rally on Sunday.

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Chief minister Ashok Chavan, deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, revenue minister Narayan Rane took on the saffron combine at a rally in Kalyan. Bal Thackeray is expected to address a public rally on Friday and so will Raj.

Bhujbal attacked the Sena-BJP leadership, saying they had lost confidence and hence were dragging Sena supremo Bal Thackeray as a last ditch effort to revive the party chances.

“Balasaheb may come to address the meeting but the business will be in the hands of the same people who have done nothing for Kalyan-Dombivli. People respect Thackeray and they are feeling bad that Uddhav is asking him to address the rally at this age,’’ said Bhujbal.

Rane also slammed the Sena saying the Thackeray family was running the corporation like a business. “ They have only one business ‘ Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Thane Municipal Corporation and Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation.’’

This even as Uddhav Thackeray did a grand road show across Kalyan and Dombivili while Raj Thackeray held meetings with the public.

Raj keeps public rally for the last day

Raj, who reached Dombivli on Saturday along with his wife Sharmila has been busy conducting road shows and meeting citizens and stakeholders. On Sunday, he inaugurated the Kalyan Election Office at Shivaji Chowk.

He also went to the Wadhwa Sport Complex, where he met with the some prominent personalities in Kalyan, spoke to people about their problems. Raj starts his round of public meetings on Monday.

He refused to address the media. Political experts say that this strategy is likely to put Raj ahead in the poll battle as he has spent enough time understanding local issues.

The KDMC elections is being seen as a battle between the warring Thackeray cousins. The wives of the estranged cousins have also entered the fray with both Rashmi, wife of Uddhav Thackeray, and Sharmila, wife of Raj Thackeray holding public meetings and doing road shows.