Maha municipal polls: Eknath Shinde, actor Govinda among 40 ‘Star Campaigners’ announced by Shiv Sena

Mumbai, Dec 24 (IANS) In preparation for the upcoming Maharashtra Municipal Corporation elections, the Shiv Sena has officially released its list of 40 “Star Campaigners”.

The announcement, issued under the guidance of Deputy Chief Minister and Chief party Leader Eknath Shinde, invoked the blessings of the late Balasaheb Thackeray and former Shiv Sena Thane Chief Dharmaveer Anand Dighe.

The Shiv Sena’s star campaigners list features a mix of veteran leaders, Cabinet Ministers, and prominent Members of Parliament.

The campaign will be spearheaded by the top brass of the Shiv Sena, ensuring a high-profile presence across the state.

The list is headed by Deputy Chief Minister Shinde followed by senior leaders Ramdas Kadam, Gajanan Kirtikar, and Anandrao Adsul.

Several sitting Ministers are included to leverage their administrative influence, including Gulabrao Patil, Uday Samant, Shambhuraj Desai, and Deepak Kesarkar.

Key MPs such as Shrikant Shinde, Prataprao Jadhav (Union Minister), Milind Deora 9union Minister), and Dhairyasheel Mane have been tasked with the campaigning for the party.

The young and spiritual wings of the Shiv Sena is represented by Purvesh Sarnaik (Yuva Sena Working President) and Akshay Maharaj Bhosle (Dharmaveer Spiritual Sena) to appeal to young voters and religious demographics.

Veteran actor and Shiv Sena MP Govinda Ahuja is listed at number 40, adding star power to the campaign trail.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde led a scathing attack on Shiv Sena-UBT, saying that “for them (Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena), who were in power for 25 years, Mumbai was a hen that laid golden eggs”.

He also took a swipe at the Opposition, saying that those involved in the ‘Khichdi’ scam, fake Covid centres, and body bag scams during the Covid-19 pandemic should look within themselves before hurling taunts at others.

He noted that the recent Municipal Council results prove Shiv Sena has expanded from ‘Chanda to Banda’ (across the length and breadth of Maharashtra).

Thanking the voters for their faith in the ‘Bow and Arrow’ symbol, the Deputy Chief Minister Shinde said, “Shiv Sena had the highest strike rate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.”

“Our performance in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections was also superior compared to other parties. Now, winning a higher number of seats despite contesting fewer ones is another testament to our excellent strike rate,” he noted.

–IANS

sj/khz