Launching today: Shiv Sena, the sequel
After quitting as ‘Sena Leader’ on November 27, 2005 and resigning from the party’s primary membership on December 18, 2005, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s nephew Raj is all set to launch his own political outfit at a rally on March 19. He will make a formal announcement about it on Thursday.

Shiv Sena
8226; Founder: Bal Thackeray Executive President: Uddhav Thackeray son of Bal Thackeray
Established: June 19, 1966 in Mumbai
Party flag: Saffron

8226; Existing political strength: MPs — Lok Sabha 12; Rajya Sabha 3 MLAs in Maharashtra Assembly reduced from 63 to 58 after Narayan Rane walked away with 6 MLAs to Cong; plus 12 MLCs
Civic bodies ruled: Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Kulgaon-Badlapur and Amravati

Core leaders: Manohar Joshi, Sudhir Joshi, Pramod Navalkar, Datta Nalawade, Leeladhar Dake, Madhukar Sarpotdar, Subhash Desai, Divakar Raote
Secretaries: Originally 4 now 2 after Kiran Wadhivkar went with Rane and Ashish Kulkarni is with Raj
Shakhas branches: 231 in Mumbai
Major issues : Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue, jobs for locals, welfare of Marathi Manoos, demands of mill workers in
Mumbai, against cricket with Pakistan, Valentine’s Day celebrations and Islamic fundamentalism

Important Sena outfits

Bharatiya Kamgar Sena Now weakened as Rane and his supporters walked away to form “Maharashtra Samarth Kamgar Sena”
Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena Now weakened as its major leaders walked away with Raj
BEST Kamgar Sena Now weakened as Rane and his supporters have captured it

Probable name:
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena/Paksha. Maharashtra Gaurav Sena/Paksha. Shivrajya Paksha. Shivraj Sena.
Core leadership: Pravin Darekar, Arvind Gawde, Sandeep Dalvi, Shirish Parker, Manoj Chavan and Abhijit Sarpotdar

Likely structure
A 10-member politburo with Raj as president
District level politburos
Shakhas like Sena with maximum membership of youths and non-political persons including
professionals
Likely party flag: Saffron with a band of blue
Major issues: Maharashtra’s development, unemployment, participation of professionals in politics