PIMPRI, 15 NOV. Miffed by the lack of progress in appointing 'Booth Level Agents' (BLAs) for the verification of voter lists ahead of the upcoming municipal elections, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray stormed out of a meeting in Pune. After issuing a warning to the office bearers—"If you don't want to work, resign from your posts"—a frantic scramble has now begun among the officials to find the required Booth Level Agents. A situation has arisen where some MNS office bearers, who have been clinging to their positions for a long time, are now desperately asking, "Will you become a Booth Level Agent?"
Frantic Search for BLAs After Leader's Ultimatum
Raj Thackeray has prioritized the verification of voter lists, especially in the context of the voter fraud issue he had raised and his corresponding alliance with the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Orders were issued last month to appoint Booth Level Agents to verify whether the voter list is updated. Raj Thackeray came to Pune last week to review the progress. Seeing the poor state of preparation by the key office bearers and Shakha Pramukhs (Ward Chiefs), he abruptly walked out of the meeting. However, his departure, coupled with the clear ultimatum, has caused unease among the long-serving functionaries: "If you don't want to work, resign from your posts."
Office Bearers Fail to Appease Upset Thackeray
After Raj Thackeray left the meeting in displeasure, some office bearers attempted to travel to Mumbai to pacify him. They tried to show the work that had supposedly started, but failed to alleviate his displeasure. Having failed to soothe his anger, they have now returned to Pune. A clear message has been delivered that there is no option but to appoint the Booth Level Agents, leading to a hurried effort by the MNS functionaries.
Responsibility Assigned to Key Officials
For the task of appointing Booth Level Agents, key office bearers have been assigned responsibility for their respective Assembly constituencies. City President Sainath Babar has been given the responsibility for the Hadapsar constituency. Former Corporator Babu Wagaskar is responsible for Vadgaon Sheri, former City President Ajay Shinde for Kasba, State General Secretary Hemant Sambhus and Ganesh Satpute for Kothrud, Ranjit Shirole for Shivajinagar, Bala Shedge for Pune Cantonment, and Kishore Shinde for Khadakwasla constituency.
BJP's Panna Pramukhs Active, MNS is Searching
To win elections, activists are crucial. They engage with voters door-to-door, collect information, or update existing data. Earlier, some parties would appoint one worker for a thousand voters, known as a 'Hajari Karyakarta' (Worker for a Thousand). These workers were considered the backbone of the elected representatives, and their opinion would help gauge whether an election would be easy or difficult. Currently, many parties seem to have abandoned this method. Only a few select parties still utilize this system. The BJP, however, has appointed 25 people per booth as Panna Pramukhs who are always active. In contrast, the MNS officials are now, only as the elections approach, seen desperately searching for 'Booth Level Agents.'
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