SENA TO FIGHT POLLS IN FOUR STATES THAT BJP IS EYEING

MUMBAI: Buoyed by its Bihar experiment, where it fielded more than 80 candidates and got two lakh votes during the state Assembly polls last year, the Shiv Sena is now out to embarrass ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), again.

The Sena plans to contest four state elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and field candidates independent of the BJP’s plans. On Saturday, the Sena declared its first list of 24 of the 45-odd candidates it plans to field in Kerala. While in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the Sena may only put up a token fight, it is keen on making an impact in Assam and West Bengal — two states the BJP also wants to make significant gains in. Part of the plan is to send senior leaders, including MPs, to campaign there.

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