Shiv Sena signals payback for BJP

In what may widen the fissures between the Shiv Sena and the BJP, the former has decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where its ally has a lot at stake.

However, after purportedly announcing that the party would field candidates in Varanasi and Lucknow for where the BJP's PM nominee Narendra Modi and the national president Rajnath Singh will contest from respectively, the Sena beat a hasty retreat.

The BJP is banking on a rich haul of seats from the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh and another 40 from Bihar to fulfill its ambition of coming to power in New Delhi.

"We will fight the Lok Sabha elections outside Maharashtra. Why shouldn't we contest?... the Shiv Sena is a big party," said Sena Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut, who also edits the Sena mouthpiece Saamna, while denying a purported statement by him that the party would contest against Modi and Rajnath.

"Contrary to media twisted quotes, Shiv Sena isn't putting up candidates against our PM candidate @narendramodi ji n @BJPRajnathSingh ji," tweeted Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray, who is Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's elder son, adding that: "Those who even believe such funny rumours, well, I feel sorry for them."
Raut said the Sena would fight 20 seats in UP, five in Bihar and also from states like Delhi and Kerala.

Sena sources said the party, which is based on a strong sons of soil and anti-outsider sentiment, had lost out on the attraction that it once commanded among the Hindutva faithful in the Hindi heartland during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. They added that the move could be a symbolic one meant to pile up tactical pressure on the BJP, which has been flirting with the rival Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Uddhav's estranged cousin Raj Thackeray.

Raut pointed out that regional parties like the Trinamool Congress, DMK and AIADMK wanted to contest from Maharashtra and questioned why the Sena should not fight from UP and Bihar. He, however, added that the Sena was open to an alliance with the BJP in UP.

"How will the party grow if we do not contest the polls? The activists work for five years, they face lathis, bullets and go to jail... and when the polls come (shall we) tell them not to contest?" questioned Raut, adding that this would impact the morale of Sena workers.

NCP MLC Dhananjay Munde calls on Raj

Dhananjay Munde, NCP MLC and the estranged nephew of senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde, on Friday met MNS president Raj Thackeray at his residence, raising a few eyebrows. Dhananjay called on Raj at "Krushnakunj" in Dadar and termed it as a personal visit. He said he shares good relations with Raj and clarified that it was not a political meet. "It was just a courtesy call. In the past too, I have met him several times. There is no need to derive any political meaning out of it," Dhananjay, who quit BJP to join the Sharad Pawar-led outfit in July last year, said.

Dhananjay walked out of the BJP over alleged differences with his uncle, who instead nominated his daughter Pankaja Palve-Munde from Parli constituency in Beed district.
He formally quit the BJP after resigning as a legislator even when he had three years of tenure left.