Shiv Sena identifies nominees for Lok Sabha polls

Asks BJP to clarify strategy on adding partners to NDA

Shiv Sena has identified candidates in Maharashtra for the coming Lok Sabha elections, sources said. The party will continue its over two-decade alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Sena, yet to recover from the loss of death of party supremo Bal Thackeray, will contest 22 seats, leaving 26 to the BJP. In all, there are 48 Sabha seats in the state.

On Saturday, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray sat with party seniors and identified  the candidates. A Sena leader, who was present, told Business Standard: “The party had won 11 seats after contesting 22 seats in 2009 elections. Uddhavji has indicated the majority of all those elected during the last general elections will be re-nominated, barring one or two.”

The Sena leader did not rule out the possibility of leaving a few seats from its quota of 22 to Republican Party of India, the Sena-BJP's new partner. Besides, some seats in the Sena’s quota could be exchanged with the BJP.

The Sena’s former minister,  Gajanan Kirtikar, expected to contest the polls, said Uddhav was personally supervising the preparations for the polls.

“The respective district units have been told to update the voters’ list and strengthen the party organisation in the run-up to the elections. Similar review meetings will be held periodically,” he said.

Former chief minister Manohar Joshi said the party leaders did discuss the BJP’s move to rope in the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to form an alliance. However, he stated that the Sena has  made no move in this regard.

Meanwhile, Thackeray asked the BJP to explain how exactly it plans to draw new partners to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “Allies don't exactly grow on trees,” Thackeray said on Tuesday.

“Is the BJP in a position to win the elections on its own strength? Who are its new friends? This must be made clear now,” said Thackeray.

In an editorial in Sena’s mouthpiece Saamna, Thackeray warned the BJP that the decision to cast Gujarat CM Narendra Modi as the face of its election campaign would place it off-limits for more partners. “Friends have to be nurtured for years with trust and service; they are not like seasonal crops, which can be plucked when needed.”