Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live

Be prepared for mid-term polls: Uddhav to workers

- Dhaval Kulkarni

MUMBAI: In what has stirred the already turbulent political waters in Maharashtr­a, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) president and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has predicted that the state may face a mid-term poll as a result of the possible collapse of the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis regime. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Balasaheba­nchi Shiv Sena, on their part, dismissed the statement as Thackeray’s tactic to keep his ‘remaining’ flock united.

On Saturday, Thackeray held a meeting of Shiv Sena leaders and the 200-odd samparka pramukhs or communicat­ion chiefs of the party who serve as a link between the high command and district-level functionar­ies. The samparka prampainti­ng ukhs have been asked to start preparatio­ns for the polls, which Thackeray expects to be held earlier than their scheduled time.

A senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, who was present at the meeting, said that party leaders had been asked to enroll primary members and also encourage the registrati­on of first-time voters. “We have also been asked to identify prospectiv­e electoral candidates, including those from other parties, Shiv Sena leaders who have left us in the past and those with the potential to win,” he revealed.

The leader added they were expecting the state government to collapse due to a number of reasons, a vital one being the Supreme Court hearings that are due to begin on November 29. A five-judge Constituti­on bench of the SC is scheduled to hear multiple petitions filed by both factions of the original Shiv Sena, which include a plea to disqualify Shinde and the 15 MLAs who jumped ship with him.

The public exchange of vitriol between two Shinde supporters – independen­t MLA Omprakash (Bacchu) Kadu and another independen­t legislator Ravi Rana, who is known to be close to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis – is also an indicator of possible political doom.

 ?? ?? Uddhav Thackeray
Uddhav Thackeray

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