Shiv Sena draws a blank after Goa and UP polls

It (results) is not discouraging at all. On the contrary, our enthusiasm has only gone up, says Aaditya Thackeray

Mumbai: Shiv Sena drew a blank after the election results in Goa and Uttar Pradesh (UP) where its candidates polled fewer votes than the NOTA (none of the above) option in the two states. Sena leaders said that the party will not cease its efforts to expand its footprint outside Maharashtra and called the results a part of the struggle which any political party goes through in the beginning.

Sena minister Aaditya Thackeray said that the party will continue to contest future polls to strengthen its base in other states and gradually emerge as an alternative in those states. (HT)

The Sena, which was confident of at least getting one candidate elected in Goa, collectively polled only 1,726 votes or 0.18% of the votes as per the Election Commission data.

The Sena, which contested the election in an alliance with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), had fielded 11 candidates in Maharashtra’s bordering state. The NCP, meanwhile, polled 10,846 or 1.14% votes. Nota votes in the state were 10629 or 1.12%, according to the ECI website. Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, Shiv Sena had fielded 37 candidates and managed to get 0.03% of the total votes polled, as per ECI data.

As a part of its national ambitions, the Sena has decided to contest all state polls and Lok Sabha polls in the future. In a bid to expand the party’s footprint, Sena leader and Thackeray scion campaigned for the party in Goa and Uttar Pradesh and addressed public rallies.

Sena minister Aaditya Thackeray said that the party will continue to contest future polls to strengthen its base in other states and gradually emerge as an alternative in those states.

“It (results) is not discouraging at all. On the contrary, our enthusiasm has only gone up. This is the first time we contested with this much strength. This is a beginning and all parties started similarly. Beginning this journey was important and we have resolved to contest all future polls in the country and will stick to it. We will become an alternative one day. As we continue to contest elections, the people will see our seriousness. In the next few elections, the votes will increase,” he said.

On Sena’s performance in Goa and Uttar Pradesh polls, Sena leader and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut echoed Thackeray’s sentiments and said that the party has ventured out of the state and initially there would be a struggle. “We had tried our best in these states including Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur. Some of our MPs were stationed there, Aaditya Thackeray campaigned in UP and Goa. This is our start to spread in other states. Any big party, while venturing out of their state, has to go through a struggle. In future, we will contest Lok Sabha polls [in other states]; we will not stop our efforts to spread our base outside Maharashtra,” he said.