Shiv Sena to go national

In an obvious attempt to expand the footprint of the Shiv Sena beyond Maharashtra and nationally, party supremo and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has embarked on an ambitious exercise and has already set the project in motion.

- PANKAJ VOHRA

He has appointed Abhishek Verma, whose chequered fame predates his political career, as the national convener for this prestigious task; Verma was featured on the cover of India Today in November, 1997, as India’s youngest billionaire at the age of 29 and presided over a global business empire with operations in India, Europe, Russia and the Middle East, spanning defence manufacturing, aerospace, nuclear energy and advanced technologies. Shinde is engaged in a court battle with Uddhav Thackeray over the allotment of the party symbol, which has been awarded to his faction by the Election Commission, though the final decision on the matter would be decided by the Apex Court where the case is pending, Shinde realizes that it was paramount for him to get his organization recognized as a national party in order to enhance his political relevance. In the past, there have been instances where regional outfits were able to get national recognition. Sharad Pawar for example had at one stage got the NCP the due status, with a bit of help from the Congress. It is another matter that the

NCP does not enjoy the privilege any longer and is trying to sort out its own internal disputes.