Shiv Sena to contest UP polls to defeat BJP

Lucknow: The Shiv Sena has announced that it will contest the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh with the intention to defeat BJP.

"The Shiv Sena will field strong candidates against all BJP ministers to ensure their defeat," said the state Sena secretary Vishvajeet Singh.

He said that a decision to this effect had been taken at a meeting of party leaders held on Thursday and presided over by state president Anil Singh.

The Sena state president said that the BJP, which claims to be a pro-Hindu government, had demolished scores of temples in Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mirzapur and other districts in the name of development.

"The state government has proved to be a failure in health, education and law and order. The government has failed to generate employment and now its leaders and bureaucrats are involved in land scam in Ayodhya. What kind of Hindutva is this?" Anil Singh asked.

He further said that Shiv Sena would elicit the support of other Hindu outfits for the elections.

A meeting with these outfits would be held next week under the leadership of Hindu Mahasabha chief Chakrapani Maharaj to decide the poll strategy.