By PTI
MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena bagged less votes than the ones which went to NOTA in Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur, Election Commission data shows.
The Sena, which is in power in Maharashtra in alliance with the NCP and Congress, had contested Assembly elections in these three states but drew a blank.
In Goa, the Sena had fielded candidates in 10 seats.
All of them lost deposit.
Sena candidates got less than 100 votes in Cortalim (55 votes), Quepem (66), Vasco-Da-Gama (71) and Sanquelim (99).
`None of the Above’ or NOTA option secured 1.12 per cent of total votes polled in Goa, while the Sena bagged a mere 0.18 per cent votes.
In Manipur, the Shiv Sena contested six seats.
The NOTA secured 0.54 per cent votes in the northeastern state while the Sena bagged 0.34 per cent.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Sena had bagged 0.03 per cent votes as of Thursday evening, while NOTA has amassed 0.69 per cent votes.
About its dismal performance, Shiv Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said his party received less votes than NOTA because it fell “short of (currency) notes”.
“The Sena received less votes than NOTA because we could not manage `notes’ used by the BJP. Still we contested in Goa and Uttar Pradesh. Our fight will continue. Victory or defeat is not the end, it is the start. We will continue to work,” the Sena MP said.
The party had deployed a battery of leaders including Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray for campaigning.
Aaditya Thackeray campaigned in Goa and Uttar Pradesh.
Sanjay Raut, Vinayak Raut, Arvind Sawant and Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar also campaigned in Goa.
But the party failed to make a foray in the neighbouring state even though Goa has a sizable Marathi-speaking population.
Maharashtra Minister and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday said results of the just held assembly polls, where the BJP emerged victorious in four of the five states that voted, will not impact the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.
Unfazed by the Shiv Sena’s poor performance in states, where the party had fielded candidates, he said it was just the beginning of an electoral journey for the Maharashtra-based outfit.
The Shiv Sena bagged less votes than the ones which went to NOTA (none of the above) in Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur, Election Commission data showed.
The Sena, which is in power in Maharashtra in alliance with the NCP and the Congress, had contested Assembly elections in these three states but drew a blank.
Talking to reporters here, Thackeray said the Shiv Sena will contest elections from the gram panchayat level to Parliament in quest to expand its organizational base.
“This is just a beginning,” he said, adding “the Shiv Sena will win one day.”
The Sena minister had campaigned for party candidates in Goa and Uttar Pradesh.
