Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra MP Sanjay Raut has claimed that several top BJP leaders and ministers in Uttar Pradesh are likely to content on Sena ticket.
“Shivsena's list of 25 candidates for UP for Loksabha polls is ready. Many top leaders, ministers, MPs and MLAs of ruling party's leaders are in touch to contest on Shivsena Ticket,” said the Rajya Sabha MP.
The final selection of names will be decided by party supremo Uddhav Thackeray, he said.
Raut added that top Sena leaders will soon visit UP and other north Indian states to cement and expand the party's support base out of Maharashtra.
Last week, Raut courted controversy after claiming when Babri Masjid could be demolished in 17 minutes, why it was taking so long for a law to build a temple there.
"We demolished the Babri Masjid in 17 minutes but for paperwork why it is taking so much time...for drafting a law or ordinance," he told reporters here in comments seen as provoking BJP with which its oldest saffron ally is not on good terms in the last few months
NDA-ally Shiv Sena's chief Thackeray Sunday said the BJP government at the Centre "may not last" if the temple was not contructed in Ayodhya and demanded that an ordinance be brought in to pave for its way, warning that emotions of Hindus should not be taken for granted.
Over 25,000 Shiv Sena workers arrived from Maharashtra to join party President Thackeray in Ayodhya to press their demand for Ram temple construction.
Shiv Sena activists visited the town for two days and offered prayers at the make-shift temple of Ram Lalla. Thackeray demanded that an ordinance be issued to pave the way for construction of the temple.
