Sena-BJP alliance will take the country to new heights: Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai: A day after the Lok Sabha election dates were announced, the Shiv Sena on Monday said that the party got into an alliance in Maharashtra with the BJP as the country needs to be taken in the right direction.

"If we had not done the alliance, do you think we would not have won? We would have definitely won but we believe that the country needs to be taken in the right direction and this alliance will help in providing resolutions... Going into the alliance our important issue was resolving the farmers woes and the BJP agreed and is working well on it... Therefore, I got into this alliance as we are both benefiting with the alliance," Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said during a press conference.

Polling for the Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases starting April 11 and will conclude on May 19. The counting of votes will be on May 23.

In a joint press conference in Mumbai along with BJP president Amit Shah and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had formally announced their alliance for the coming Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections.

Mr Fadnavis said that the Shiv Sena will fight on 23 seats and BJP on 25 seats in the coming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, where 48 seats are at stake. The two parties have agreed to contest an equal number of seats in the Assembly polls.