Shinde-led Shiv Sena will contest elections in Goa, says party leader Adsul

A senior leader of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Tuesday said his party will contest elections in Goa and soon launch an outreach campaign in the BJP-ruled coastal state.

Talking to reporters here, Shiv Sena leader Anandrao Adsul said in the party, which is in power in Maharashtra in an alliance with the BJP, needs to work at grassroots level to win elections in Goa.

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The former Lok Sabha MP said the undivided Shiv Sena had contested elections in Goa in the past, but they were fought without conviction. “The Shiv Sena will contest the next elections in Goa with conviction and make a fresh beginning.

The people of Goa should be convinced this party is here to work for them. We need to create impact on the minds of the people,” Adsul said. He said many local leaders have evinced interest in joining the Shinde-led party, which was allotted the Shiv Sena name and the 'bow and arrow' poll symbol by the Election Commission in February.

Adsul alleged Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut and others who were named in-charge of party affairs in Goa in the past used to get influenced by monetary considerations while giving poll tickets to candidates in the state. Raut did not respond to messages seeking his comments on Adsul's claim till late Tuesday night.