Pune: Member of Parliament and Shiv Sena (SS) leader Shrikant Shinde said on Sunday that his party has planned an aggressive local outreach programme. The party held a review meeting in Pune following its poor performance in the civic polls and has appointed coordinators to boost its prospects.“Since no elections are scheduled for the next three years, the party will focus on ward-level planning and regular meetings. The primary purpose of Sunday’s gathering was to listen to the concerns of party workers,” he said.Shinde also stated that the party will support the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament. As part of the outreach programme, party workers will assist with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), an exercise undertaken by the Election Commission of India to ensure that all eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll.“The Women’s Reservation Bill will be a historic step towards women’s empowerment. Some political parties have opposed it for political reasons, but our party supports it,” he said while speaking with reporters after the meeting.Responding to a question on whether the BJP’s stance had created hurdles for the party’s performance in local polls, Shinde said, “Every political party strives to strengthen itself. Sena is focused on its own expansion. Similar meetings were held before the Assembly elections and will continue in the future.”When asked about municipal workers protesting outside the homes of party leaders and whether the discontent would subside, he said, “A single meeting will not resolve everything. This was the first session, and further instructions will be issued to workers and officials on how to move forward.”
