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Sena begins drive to widen its reach

The Shiv Sena's 'saffron week', aimed at spreading the party to every nook and corner of Maharashtra, began today with the opening of new branches and registration of new members.

The party has also published a booklet showcasing the performance of the Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance government in the state.

Other booklets discuss the party's employment and self-employment schemes, its concept of Hindutva, and its policy on women.

The booklets are aimed at educating party workers on these issues.

Sena chief Bal Thackeray and other party bigwigs -- Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, heir-apparent Uddhav Thackeray, student wing leader Raj Thackeray, former police commissioner Ram Deo Tyagi, social activist Neelam Gorhe, and leading criminal lawyer Adhik Shirodkar -- will address party workers during the week.

Thackeray will address three public meetings at Akola (October 13), Osmanabad (October 14), and Miraj (October 15) while Joshi, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray will address at least a dozen meetings during the party revival campaign.

Uddhav Thackeray launched the campaign from Tulzapur, a centre of pilgrimage in western Maharashtra.

Joshi will address his first public meeting in the saffron week in the tribal Gadchiroli district of Vidarbha region. Raj Thackeray addressed his first meeting at Malegaon in Nashik district.

All six Sena leaders -- Dattatray Salvi, Waman Mahadik, Dattatray Nalawade, Satish Pradhan, Sharad Acharya, and Madhukar Sarpotdar -- have been directed to monitor the activities in different districts. Similarly, all Sena ministers have been assigned specific tasks.

Tyagi, who joined the Sena immediately after retiring as director-general of police, National Security Guards, during the Lok Sabha election, will address the workers at Nagpur, Thane and Pune.

UNI

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