Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that his party will not be part of any alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Assembly elections. He ruled out the possibility of any alliance with the Samajwadi Party citing ideological differences.
"Shiv Sena will not be part of any alliance in UP. We have ideological differences with Samajwadi Party but we want a change in the state. We have been working for a long time in UP but didn't contest elections because we didn't want to hurt BJP," he noted.
Raut said Shiv Sena will contest 50-100 seats in UP on Hindutva and farmers’ issues, adding that he will visit the Western UP on Friday. On Thursday, Raut met prominent farmers’ leader Rakesh Tikait as it seeks to make an electoral foray in Uttar Pradesh to dent the prospects of its estranged ally BJP.
“I discussed the serious problems and issues faced by farmers of Uttar Pradesh and the political situation in the country. The burning issues of farmers of western Uttar Pradesh too figured prominently. Shiv Sena is committed to deliver justice to the farmers,” Raut said on Twitter.
Raut said the Shiv Sena had played an important role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and made several sacrifices. He recalled that the party leaders under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray had visited Ayodhya thrice when the Ayodhya movement appeared to have lost steam. He added that the party was also aware of the sentiments of the people with regards to Mathura, the birth place of Lord Krishna.
Meanwhile, Raut predicted that Congress cannot win Goa assembly polls on its own and the party cannot cross the single-digit mark if it contests alone.
"The Congress has only three MLAs in Goa. The party’s MLAs have deserted it enmasse. Key political parties, we (Shiv Sena and NCP) had offered to support the Congress in its difficult times. But I don’t know what the Congress is thinking. It cannot cross the single digit mark if it contests alone," said Raut who had earlier said the Maha Vikas Aghadi model can be replicated in Goa.
