Shiv Sena activists are circulating a pamphlet cautioning the Marathi-speaking population against voting for the rival MNS, as “Voting MNS will mean helping Congress-NCP”. In the Lok Sabha elections, the MNS had eaten into the Sena-BJP votes and denied them even a single seat in Mumbai.

With the code of conduct in force, the pamphlets have been printed privately, not by the Shiv Sena. They are being distributed locality by locality, across the Sena shakhas. The campaign has been apparently started by ground-level cadres.

“A Sena loyalist had published the idea in a local newspaper. It reflects the damage caused to the Sena by the MNS. We want to educate the voter to be cautious this time,” said a Shiv Sena shakha activist from Worli. He added that the pamphlets were being given to shakhas for distribution in their localities.

Printed in Marathi, the pamphlet says, “Raj does not have any qualities but fake oratory skills... Now the question is if the Marathi manoos will fall prey to his speeches and if they do so then there is no need for an astrologer to say that Congress-NCP government will come to power.”

It asks Raj how many Marathi youths managed jobs after “bhaiyyas” were beaten up.

“Raj knows that his party can never come to power but he is trying hard to make sure that in no circumstances does Sena-BJP come to rule,” it says.

“The Marathi manoos should vote for the Sena-BJP keeping in mind that a vote to the MNS is a vote to the Congress-NCP.”

... contd.