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Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray has turned into an academician. With the next Assembly elections in mind, Thackeray opened a training centre for his party workers in Pune, to educate them on various issues concerning Maharashtra.

Thackeray inaugurated the Maharashtra Samajik Nav Nirman Academy on Monday where workers of MNS will be given training on issues like farmers’ suicides, drought, education in Maharashtra, and culture. The academy will also have a library and a reference section.

Thackeray said the academy would undertake social, political and economic studies of the 288 Assembly constituencies in the coming days. “Political workers need various reference, research, literature and training, which will be provided at the centre,” Thackeray said.

“We set up the centre to come out with a blueprint of development of Maharashtra”, Thackeray said, adding that the center will be useful in finding solutions to problems. “I will come out with a solution whenever I criticise the government on a particular issue,” Thackeray said.

Anil Shidore, director of the center, told HT they had selected a panel of 11 members from various fields as faculty. Shidore said they also plan to train corporators from Mumbai and Pune to update them on various civic issues. Shidore added that elected representatives will also be educated on various legal provisions of the local self-governments.

According to Shidore, the training programme will not be restricted to MNS workers but will also be available for NGOs, and social and political workers from other parties. “The programme will also deal with how to write a press note, or how to run women’s self-help groups,” said Shidore.

Deepak Paigude, general secretary of MNS, said selected workers and office-bearers in the 288 Assembly constituencies will be given training in the near future.