Shiv Sena

When contacted, Thackeray scion and Shiv Sena’s Gennext face Aditya Thackeray, said, “We have worked for all sections of society. The #Didyouknow? campaign is an attempt to highlight fascinating information about the civic body, which may not be known to all. For instance, did you know that 480 civic schools have been transformedintodigitalcampuses?similarly,not many know that 725 new gardens (green spaces) have been developed.”

Sources said the tactical shift was spearheaded by Aditya but unlike previous campaigns, the hoardings and posters do not carry his pictures or those of the late Bal Thackeray or party president Uddhav Thackeray.however,thepartysymbol(bow and an arrow) has been prominently displayed, along with the saffron background to advance its ideology, said sources.

Shiv Sena sources said the changing voter demographic of Mumbai was the main reason behind the new campaign, which they described as the most significant tactical shift in the build-up to the polls. Mumbai’s latest census count reveals that the Marathi-speaking community accounts for 29 per cent of the city’s population.

Riding on Narendra Modi’s popularity among the middle class, the BJP had edged out the Shiv Sena in the 2014 Assembly polls in Mumbai. While the Shiv Sena won 14 of the 36 seats here, the BJP won 15.

“The idea is to reach out to a new generation of voters,” said Bhupal Ramnathkar, chairman and creative designer, Umbrella Design, who has designed the branding campaign.

The ‘development’ pitch comes at a time when other parties in the fray, including ally BJP, Congress and NCP, have been campaigning against “misgovernance and graft” in the civic body.