Mumbai: In an attempt to reinvent itself, the Shiv Sena has plans to contest the upcoming Jharkhand assembly poll, beginning November 30.
The saffron party, which recently had a fall-out with its 30 years old ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is now aiming to become a truly national party, contesting polls in different states.
In the proposed five phase election, of the 82 seats, the Sena will field candidates in 30 constituencies. According to Deepak Singh, Sena’s acting chief of state in Jharkhand, a list of candidates will be announced, as soon as the Election Commission (EC) approves their party symbol.
Sena’s symbol of “Bow and Arrow” is identical with a Jharkhand regional party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) which presently has 19 seats in the state.
“We have informed the party high command, we will be contesting the assembly poll in Jharkhand and as soon as the EC approves our symbol, we will announce the list of our candidates,” said Singh.
After parting ways with the BJP, the Sena is now trying hard to stitch an alliance with the Congress and National Congress Party (NCP) to form a stable government in Maharashtra.
Sena’s stance of fielding candidates from Jharkhand, can be interpreted as a move to put more pressure on the BJP, which has declared it will contest from 43 seats in the state.
The Sena has made in roads through various organisations it has set up in various states, said a senior Sena core-committee. Their baby steps will help make a mark on the national front.
Sena’s 17 non-profit and social welfare organisations are registered under Sena’s name in Punjab. There are 27 organisations under the banner of Sena, working in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Our party has already set up bases in different states like Gujarat, West Bengal and Rajasthan. We are a party of over 50 years and we want to strengthen our ground across the country, for which we will take part in the electoral process,” said Rahul Kanal, a senior core committee member of Sena.
He further informed that the Shiv Sena has 12 elected corporators in Uttar Pradesh and that the saffron party had contested in the previous assembly polls in Kerala and Goa.
