Women: wooed by Sena on self-help plank

On Sunday,Swaroopa Khapekar,a divisional organiser of the party,conducted a meeting of 35 self-help groups,each with 20 members. Since Babar was campaigning in Raigad,Khapekar had roped in his wife to address the women voters.

“I am campaigning in Sangvi basically. Most of the women here,who are members of bachat gats,want either jobs or a market for their household produce. As MLA,Babar had helped push the bachat gat movement. This is what we tell members who expect Babar to replicate his good work as an MP,” says Khapekar,who had teamed up with the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena to reach out to women students.

The Sena’s city deputy chief Vaishali Marathe,who is supposed to channelise women self-help group members from 51 wards in Pimpri-Chinchwad,says it is not easy to convince women members who are from different backgrounds and affiliations. “All members will not necessarily have a liking for the Shiv Sena. But what matters is whether the candidate is ready to understand your problems. Babar passes that test.”

Khapekar says the votes for Babar from SHGs and their acquaintances in areas could well add up to 5,000. Marathe refuses to hazard a guess,but believes the SHGs will get Babar “a substantial number.”

Sena’s district deputy chief Sarang Kamthekar says their efforts to get SHGs vote for Babar is centred around three mantras — security,empowerment and the opportunity to work for women.

For his part,Babar says,“I have done a lot for the bachat gat movement. Our aggressive campaigning will certainly give me a good lead in Pimpri-Chinchwad.”