Thane: The city aglow with the spirit of Diwali and residents making the most of the festive fervour, netas from Thane are also not left behind as they are seen making the most of this occasion to strengthen their supporter base in their respective strongholds ahead of the election year.Start from organising special sessions for the musically inclined to holding educative sessions for younger generation and staging initiatives for the economically weaker sections, netas seem to be going all the way out to make the festival brighter and sweeter for Thane residents.BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar recently celebrated the festival with few class IV civic workers. The conservancy staff is an integral part of our society but are often low profile. I have been following the tradition of celebrating the festival of lights with them every year which is not just a morale boost for them but also a good experience for me, he said. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena youth wing functionary Sandeep Pachange organised a competition to encourage students to learn about the history of Maharashtara forts. The trend of fort making is waning and we want the young generation to understand and study the aspects of these forts which are our glory. Around 450 groups have signed up, said Pachange.The Shiv Sena and the UBT group also held independent celebrations as per the tradition in the central part of the city on Sunday attracting hordes of youngsters who turned up for the revelry in the presence of some celebrities. Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde chose to brighten the festival for survivors of the Irshalwadi landslide near Karjat. Meanwhile, few others like BJP former corporator Archana Manera coordinated a musical event at Ghodbunder road while the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde arranged a musical event in Kopri, informed spokesperson Naresh Mhaske. A few other netas from the city were also scheduling visits to old age homes and school for special children for distributing festive goodies.We also published the following articles recentlyShiv Sena (UBT) takes dig at CM Eknath Shinde, says Maharashtras Allabaksh will campaign for BJPThe Shiv Sena (UBT) criticized CM Eknath Shinde for campaigning for the BJP in upcoming state elections. They compared him to a fictional character from a play, saying a duplicate Sena will campaign for the BJP. The party questioned why Shinde didnt join the BJP directly. The editorial also accused the BJP of being arrogant and criticized Shinde for promoting their ideology over Maharashtras culture. The Shiv Sena (UBT) concluded that Shindes "final destination" is the BJP.Maharashtra: Shikant Shinde celebrates Diwali with landslide-affected Irshalwadi peopleMaharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shindes son, Dr Shrikant Shinde, celebrated Diwali with the villagers of Irshalwadi and distributed gifts. The village had experienced a landslide in July, causing loss of lives. Shinde assured the villagers that under his fathers guidance, rehabilitation work is progressing quickly and that the expenses for the education of the children will be taken care of by the Shiv Sena and Dr Shrikant Shinde foundation. He expressed confidence that next years Diwali would be celebrated in their own homes.Swachh campaign to make cities sparkle during festival of lightsThe Swachh Bharat Mission has launched a special sanitation campaign called Swachh Diwali, Shubh Diwali in Lucknow. Municipal commissioners have been directed to implement activities such as a Clean Diwali signature campaign, Swachh Diwali drive, and campaigns against banned plastic products. Citizens are encouraged to pledge their support for the campaign on the mygov.in website. Short video reels promoting cleanliness will be created and shared on social media. Single-use plastic will be banned and the use of jute and cloth bags will be encouraged. Various competitions and educational programs will be organized.

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