BJP ally Shiv Sena denies it's fielding candidates against Modi, Rajnath

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena has denied reports of fielding candidates against Bharatiya Janata Party senior leaders in Uttar Pradesh. Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray said no candidates are being fielded against BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi or BJP chief Rajnath Singh in Varanasi or Lucknow.

"Contrary to media twisted quotes, obviously the Shiv Sena isn't putting up candidates against our PM candidate Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh," he tweeted.

Further clarifying, Shiv Sena UP in-charge Uday Pandey told reporters that the party chief Uddhav Thackeray has asked him not to put up candidates against Modi and Rajnath Singh.

This came after reports said the Sena has planned to field 20 candidates in Uttar Pradesh including Lucknow, from where BJP chief Rajnath Singh is contesting polls and Jhansi, from where Uma Bharti is contesting.

The Shiv Sena has been upset with BJP over its overtures to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Earlier this month, the Sena had even lashed out at the BJP saying it does not know how to deal with its allies.

The Shiv Sena in its political mouthpiece 'Saamana' had said that the BJP appears to be doing deals with new parties while keeping existing allies in the dark. "Leaders like Modi, Rajnath and Rudy may have applied balm on the strain in BJP- Shiv Sena ties, but what is the guarantee that there will be strain in the future. If Pramod Mahajan were alive the strain would be have been less. BJP is a national party thanks to the many regional allies it has. Even tall leaders like Vajpayee and Advani had to take along a number of allies - almost 30 to form the NDA government. BJP appears to be doing deals with new parties while keeping existing allies in the dark," it had said.