Mumbai, July 02: Virtually sounding a bugle for the next year's crucial assembly elections in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena today made abundantly clear its plan to utilise staunch Hindutva as its plank and set up an ambitious target of capturing 140 seats in the 288-seat house. The two-day 'Nirdhar Shibir', which got underway at the state-of-the-art Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in neighbouring Thane district to fine-tune the party's strategy for the assembly polls, deliberated over the performance of party MLAs and vowed to form the government after the elections.
Instead of the much-touted recent campaign titled "Mee Mumbaikar" against the burgeoning influx to the metropolis, the conclave dwelt over "concept of Hindutva".
Theologist S G Shevde delivered a lecture to Sena's elected representatives on the intricacies of Hindutva telling them to cherish and preserve the ancient religion. "To preserve Hindutva, like-minded parties like Sena and BJP should make concerted efforts,” he emphasised.
The Sena leaders said the party legislators have been directed to ensure their re-election and to strive for the victory of a Sena nominee from the adjoining constituency.
The party has got 74 MLAs in the house of 288 and has set a high target of 140 in the next elections. Bureau Report