Ahead of Assembly polls, Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray began the first phase of his ambitious five-day Jan Ashirwad Yatra from Pachora in Jalgaon district on Thursday Mr. Thackeray claimed that his 4,000 km tour, intended to shore up the Sena’s base, was to “build a new Maharashtra” and was not merely being undertaken for electoral gains or to seek votes for Assembly elections.
“For me, this [tour] is akin to a pilgrimage to build a new Maharashtra. It is to seek the blessings of the public who have showed faith in us and to thank the hard work of those Shiv Sainiks whose efforts helped us win 18 Lok Sabha seats in the State. One need not wait for any auspicious moment to thank all those who voted for us…My grandfather, [the late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray], had he been alive, would have advised me to do the same,” he said, adding that the rationale behind his tour was to understand and help resolve the problems faced by citizens in the rural hinterland.