Shiv Sena can contest polls outside Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray

Thane: After criticising Bharatiya Janata Party through the party's mouthpiece, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said encouraged by his party's performance in Bihar it may contest the Assembly polls in other states as well to "fill the vacuum of Hindutva thought."

Shiv Sena, which is part of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, had contested the elections in Bihar independently, though without success.

Addressing a press meet at Kalyan after the election of Shiv Sena nominee Rajendra Devlekar as the Mayor of Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation, Thackeray said earlier the party was not serious about contesting polls outside Maharashtra but now it had realised that it could enter other states as well on the plank of "Hindutva."

"Now we have realised that we should move out to spread the message and fill the vacuum of Hindutva thought in the country," Thackeray said.

"I did not visit Bihar but our leaders including Sanjay Raut campaigned there and we could manage more than 2 lakh votes. To fill the vacuum of Hindutva thought in the country, henceforth if there is a demand by the party workers we will contest the coming Assembly elections in other states too," the Sena president said.

Asked about BJP's debacle in Bihar, Thackeray said he would not comment but took a jibe at the ally saying "BJP leaders, MPs and MLAs themselves are commenting on it, why do you want me add to that".

In KDMC polls, after an acrimonious campaign in which Sena and BJP targeted each other, the former emerged as the biggest party with 52 seats in the house of 122, but fell short of majority. It later entered into a pact with BJP, which won 42 seats, to share the Mayor's post by turns.

As to why Sena entered into a pact with BJP for Mayor's post in KDMC after a bitter campaign, Thackeray said it was for the sake of development, and "let bygones be bygones".

Shiv Sena's mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Tuesday carried an editorial on the BJP's performance in Bihar Assembly polls, saying that "cunningness" will not always work in politics and that the common man will respond appropriately if promises made are not fulfilled.