The Shiv Sena on Tuesday announced it will contest the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly polls, to be held in 2019, without its current ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Tuesday’s meeting also saw the elevation of Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray to a Shiv Sena ‘neta’. The party hierarchy has Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at the top, followed by ‘netas’ (leaders), then ‘upnetas’ (deputy leaders). “We will fight elections in every state for the cause of Hindutva, I vow today,” said Thackeray, who was re-elected party chief. But if the Sena isn’t keen then the BJP is ready [ to go solo] and so is Maharashtra,’’ said city party chief Ashish Shelar.

Source: Hindustan Times January 23, 2018 07:51 UTC