Shiv Sena declares to contest 2019 polls without BJP; Aditya Thackeray promoted as national executive

Mumbai, January 23: Indian far-right regional political party, Shiv Sena today made it clear that they would contest the 2019 polls alone. The decision was taken after a resolution was unanimously passed to the effect at the party’s National Executive meet Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena elevated Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray as party leader, which might be treated as second position in the party. The meeting was held in the backdrop of late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s birth anniversary.

The resolution was moved by Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who said the BJP had been demoralising the party for the last three years. “I moved the resolution for the Shiv Sena to fight the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls on its own in 2019,” Raut said.

He said the party will win at least 25 Lok Sabha seats (out of a total 48 in Maharashtra) and 125 Assembly seats (out of a total 288) in the state.

“The BJP allied with the Sena in the name of Hindutva and the Sena kept patience for Hindutva. However, the BJP in the last three years has been demoralising the Sena and using power to do so,” Raut said.

Senior Sena leaders backed Raut’s resolution. The Shiv Sena is holding internal polls to elect its party president and other functionaries today, the birth anniversary of its founder Bal Thackeray.

Party president Uddhav Thackeray is set to be re-elected as there is no other nomination for the post, party sources earlier said. A meeting of senior Sena leaders was held at Thackeray’s ‘Matoshree’ bungalow in suburban Bandra to discuss the internal polls.