Chalo Calcutta, sings Sena

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has decided to contest the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly Elections, slated for later this year.

Veteran party leader Sanjay Raut said that the decision was taken after extensive discussions. "So, here is the much awaited update. After discussions with Shri Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena has decided to contest the West Bengal Assembly Elections. We are reaching Kolkata soon...!! Jai Hind,

!" Raut tweeted. Notably, the party snapped its decades-old ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the Maharashtra elections in October 2019, claiming that its ally had not kept its promise of 50:50 power sharing. It will be interesting to see how the BJP reacts to the development since it is trying to dislodge the ruling Trinamool Congress and secure a foothold in Bengal.

Sena had earlier also hinted at 'branching out' in the national capital, although its presence in Delhi is minuscule. The Sena’s decision elicited much online mirth with many likening it to the Akali Dal wanting to contest from Maharashtra, riding on its overweening concern for farmers.

While some felt enthused at the prospect of the Sena wanting to project itself as an umbrella party and yearning to have a pan India footprint, others gave it a grim reminder that in the Bihar Assembly election, although it had fielded as many as 22 candidates, the party managed to get only 0.05% of the votes, even less than the NOTA (None of the Above) voting option, which was opted for by 1.68% of the voters.