Date:27/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/27/stories/2007042718811400.htm

National

Shiv Sena to contest 21 seats in Goa

Special Correspondent

PANAJI: The Shiv Sena will contest 21 of the 40 constituencies in the Goa Assembly polls after being cold-shouldered by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Announcing this here on Thursday, Upendra Gaonkar, Shiv Sena's Goa unit president, said the names of the probable candidates had been short-listed.

The same would be sent to executive president Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai.

Cold-shouldered

Mr. Thackeray was in favour of the Shiv Sena aligning with the BJP in Goa as both have a tie-up at national level as well as in Maharashtra, but Goa BJP leaders did not offer any response to the Sena's offer, said Mr. Gaonkar.

The issue of according official language status to Marathi would be the major issue the Sena would take up in the manifesto, he said.

Other issues such as illegal land grabbing by foreigners would also be taken up, he said.

JD(S) to contest 15-20 seats

The Janata Dal (Secular) will contest 15-20 seats in alliance with like-minded regional parties such as the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

Goa unit president of the Janata Dal (S) Vinayak Naik said on Thursday that the announcement of the candidates would be done by JD (S) president and the former Prime Minister, H. D. Deve Gowda.

Apart from Mr. Gowda, who is expected to camp in Goa for a week, Karnataka Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswami will also participate in the JD (S) campaign, Mr. Naik said.