 "Sena to field its men against BJP outside Maharashtra")
Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s oldest ally in Maharashtra, will field its candidates against the latter in Uttar Pradesh (UP). However, the Sena, quite perturbed over former BJP President Nitin Gadkari’s unilateral move to warm up to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, clarified the party would not nominate candidates against Narendra Modi in Varanasi and BJP President Rajnath Singh in Lucknow. The Sena is contesting 20 of the 80 seats in UP, where the BJP has high stakes. The Sena will also field five candidates each in Bihar and Punjab and two in Delhi.
Earlier, Sena’s UP unit had decided to nominate its candidate against Modi and Singh. However, Sena youth leader Aditya Thackeray, in a tweet, said Modi was their leader and there was no move to field candidates against him and Singh.
“We sent a list of candidates, but have been asked by party chief Uddhav Thackeray to withdraw names from Varanasi and Lucknow,” said Uday Pandey, the Sena’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge, who lashed out against the BJP. “The BJP has been using Shiv Sainiks as their servants in UP.”
Raut denied that Sena was acting out of rancour. “Backstabbing is not in our culture. We don’t carry garbage in our heads.”
As reported earlier, Uddhav had hit out against Gadkari and BJP for undermining the 25-year-old alliance and making overtures to Raj by asking him to abstain from the general elections. Subsequently, Modi and Singh spoke to Uddhav clarifying that the alliance was intact. Despite Gadkari’s appeal Raj has announced MNS candidates in nine Lok Sabha seats where Shiv Sena candidates are in fray. Besides, Raj extended his party’s support to two candidates of Peasants & Workers Party in Maval and Raigad constituencies.
Earlier, Sena’s UP unit had decided to nominate its candidate against Modi and Singh. However, Sena youth leader Aditya Thackeray, in a tweet, said Modi was their leader and there was no move to field candidates against him and Singh.
“We sent a list of candidates, but have been asked by party chief Uddhav Thackeray to withdraw names from Varanasi and Lucknow,” said Uday Pandey, the Sena’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge, who lashed out against the BJP. “The BJP has been using Shiv Sainiks as their servants in UP.”
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Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said the party would “reconsider” fielding candidates against Modi and Rajnath Singh. “We are fully entitled to fight in other states. We will see that BJP suffers minimum collateral damage,” Raut said.
Raut denied that Sena was acting out of rancour. “Backstabbing is not in our culture. We don’t carry garbage in our heads.”
As reported earlier, Uddhav had hit out against Gadkari and BJP for undermining the 25-year-old alliance and making overtures to Raj by asking him to abstain from the general elections. Subsequently, Modi and Singh spoke to Uddhav clarifying that the alliance was intact. Despite Gadkari’s appeal Raj has announced MNS candidates in nine Lok Sabha seats where Shiv Sena candidates are in fray. Besides, Raj extended his party’s support to two candidates of Peasants & Workers Party in Maval and Raigad constituencies.