Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said they planned to put up candidates on around 35 seats in states outside Maharashtra. The Sena has already announced five candidates in UP.
Despite tying up with the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena is planning to fight around 35 seats across the country in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Bihar and West Bengal for a political opening at the national level.
Though the Shiv Sena, which aims at pitching itself as a national party, may not win any seats, its presence in the electoral arena may affect the prospects of the BJP by dividing the pro-Hindutva vote. The only time when the Sena got a lawmaker elected outside Maharashtra was in 1991 when its Pawan Kumar Pandey was elected to the UP assembly at the height of the Ram Temple agitation.
Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said they planned to put up candidates on around 35 seats in states outside Maharashtra. The Sena has already announced five candidates in UP.
"We wanted to fight the LS elections (outside Maharashtra) with full strength, but we have been caught in the chains of an alliance again. Our party thinks more about others," he claimed.
"After the demolition of the Babri Masjid (1992), there was a nationwide wave in favour of Sena and its candidates would have won had we contested. Balasaheb (late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray) was ready to take the decision, but (former PM) AB Vajpayee impressed upon him that this would benefit the Congress. Hence, Balasaheb decided against contesting outside Maharashtra," Raut, executive editor of party mouthpiece Saamna, said.
He said before finalizing alliance with BJP, the party had decided to contest seats in all states across India.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Uddhav Thackeray")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}