Will not change plans to contest 2019 solo: Sena

MUMBAI: As the BJP emerges as the single largest party in the Karnataka assembly polls, its ally Shiv Sena on Tuesday reiterated its decision to contest the 2019 elections on its own.

Senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai said that while election trends suggest the BJP has an edge over the others in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Karnataka cannot be compared as “the two states have different political and social factors”.

“The Sena has its own agenda and we are going ahead under the guidance of Uddhav Thackeray. There is no reason for the party to reconsider its stand to contest polls solo in Maharashtra in the backdrop of the Karnataka results,” Desai said.

Interestingly, political rivals Uddhav and Raj Thackeray raised questions about tampered electronic voting machines (EVMS).

Sena chief Uddhav challenged the BJP to contest elections without EVMS to clear the air. Reacting to the results, he said, “The results were considered according to the current situation across the country. However, results that have come today are different. There are allegations made by opposition parties over EVM manipulations as well. Just one time, I want the BJP to head into elections with ballot papers and not EVMS. Let all the apprehensions go.”

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray was far more blunt, alleging EVMS had been tampered with.in two tweets in English and Marathi, he said: “Karnataka elections. Victory of the EVMS.” This is not the first time that the MNS chief has claimed that the BJP’S victory in the polls is because of tampered EVMS. Before the Gujarat polls too, he had claimed that if the BJP won the elections, the victory would be a miracle of EVMS.

The BJP in Maharashtra will have to worry about a pre-poll alliance between the two major Opposition parties, Congress and NCP, as well as the Sena’s plans to go solo in the 2019 polls.