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Shiv Sena planning to get back at BJP by putting up candidates in Delhi polls

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Shiv Sena, whose relationship with former ally BJP is on the rocks in Maharashtra, is now planning to upset the BJP applecart by putting up candidates in the coming Delhi assembly polls.

"We will put up candidates in Delhi. We are yet to take a decision on the number and the names of the nominees," Shiv Sena MP from Aurangabad Chandrakant Khaire, who is the sampark pramukh (outreach chief) for the national capital, told dna.

Khaire added that in the 2013 Delhi assembly elections, Sena had put up 12 candidates and in four constituencies, BJP had lost by almost the same number of votes that the Sena nominees had polled.

Sena leaders admitted that though they were not very confident of making much of an impact in Delhi—the party has little presence outside Maharashtra—they would be happy to act as spoiler for their estranged ally by dividing Hindutva vote bank.

When Sena had emerged a militant Hindutva outfit riding on the crest of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, its candidate, Pawan Pandey, was elected to the Uttar Pradesh assembly in 1991.

Despite being allies since 1989 (after an alliance in 1984 for the Lok Sabha polls tumbled at the hustings), Sena shares a complicated relationship with BJP. And though BJP had snapped ties with Sena before the 2014 Maharashtra assembly elections and won 122 seats as compared to Sena's 63, Sena MP Anant Geete is a minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet at the Centre as the Union minister for heavy industries and public enterprises.

"BJP lost four seats because of us last time... just as we were defeated in quite a few seats in Maharashtra as they contested against us," a Sena leader said.

NCP trying to benefit from instability: Sena
Lashing out at NCP chief Sharad Pawar for his remarks that the state could see snap polls anytime, Sena accused the former union agriculture minister of trying to benefit from the instability in the state.
"...but Shiv Sena is standing firm. Let Pawar do what he wants to. His politics is impermanent. Shiv Sena is honestly fulfilling the role of an opposition party in Maharashtra," claimed an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamna, on Wednesday. It also accused Pawar of playing "politics of distrust."
NCP had stolen a march over Sena by declaring unconditional, outside support to BJP in a fractured house. However, speaking to party delegates on Tuesday, Pawar said the stability of the minority BJP government in the state was not their responsibility, and asked his party to be ready for mid-term polls.

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