Shiv Sena to contest around 50 seats in Bihar

The Shiv Sena is going to contest around 50 seats in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls, party MP Anil Desai said on Sunday.

Desai said the Shiv Sena does not have an alliance with any party for polls in the eastern state.

"The Shiv Sena is contesting around 50 seats. We have fielded our candidates in constituencies where we have our cadre involved in public work," the Rajya Sabha member said.

He also said the Shiv Sena's election symbol for Bihar polls will be a "man blowing tura" (trumpet).

The Election Commission had earlier disallowed the Shiv Sena from using its party symbol 'bow and arrow' in the Bihar assembly polls over similarity with the 'arrow' symbol of the Janata Dal-United.

Asked about the schedule of Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray for campaigning in Bihar, Desai said the details would be provided by the party and the CM himself.

The Shiv Sena on Thursday released a list of 22 leaders who will campaign in Bihar.

Besides Uddhav Thackeray, his son and Maharashtra tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray also figures in the list of campaigners.

The other Sena leaders who would campaign in Bihar include Subhash Desai, Sanjay Raut, Anil Desai, Vinayak Raut, Arvind Sawant, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rahul Shewale and Krupal Tumane.

Elections for the 243-member Bihar Assembly will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7 and the counting of votes will take place on November 10.