Shiv Sena sets its target: 25 Lok Sabha, 150 Assembly seats

The party unanimously passed a resolution in its national executive meeting, stating it would contest the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly polls without any alliance

Mumbai Sounding the poll bugle, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday told the party cadre to get ready for the elections.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackarey and his son Aaditya at the National Executive Meet at NSCI, Worli in Mumbai. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

The party unanimously passed a resolution in its national executive meeting, stating it would contest the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly polls without any alliance and aim to win 25 and 150 seats, respectively.

Senior Sena leaders said the top brass of the party would soon meet to chalk out a strategy. The party plans to strengthen its base at booth-level. “We have a strong organisational base and we will strengthen it. The plan is to give responsibilities to various office-bearers,” said a senior leader. Another Sena functionary added, “We have been told to prepare for elections at grass root level, and strengthen the party cadre wherever it is weak.”

Thackeray during his speech said there were speculations that the general and the state Assembly polls would be held earlier. He told the newly inducted office-bearers that their performance would be reviewed every three months.

Meanwhile, another senior leader said the party is also weighing the pros and cons of pulling the plug on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the state. “We will mainly evaluate the negatives of such a decision. The decision on quitting the government could be taken towards the end of the year. Till then, we will continue to lay the groundwork for the next election,” the leader said.