Shiv Sena blames election surveys for poor performance, vows to learn from mistakes

Mumbai: Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat has attributed the party’s poor performance in elections to misleading election surveys. He stated that the party’s strike rate could have been better.

Speaking at a press conference, Shirsat said, “The main focus in these elections was on the surveys. Many surveys were commissioned, and each had different readings. This led to overconfidence, which caused us trouble. Many seats were changed, and we suffered losses.” He also mentioned that the delay in declaring seats was a contributing factor.

“Our strike rate was better as we won seven out of 15 seats. In the MVA, the Congress has benefited from the alliance with Shiv Sena UBT, and this alliance aided them. The Shiv Sena UBT expended energy in supporting those who were decimated,” said Shirsat.

He alleged that many Shiv Sena UBT candidates have openly stated that NCP (SP) and Congress workers did not actively support them. A glaring example is the Sangli Lok Sabha seats, where no one from Congress worked for candidate Chandrahar Patil, while Congress leader Vishwajeet Patil assisted Congress rebel Vishal Patil. Shirsat emphasized that they have accepted the mandate of the people and will not repeat the mistakes that led to their setback.

The Shiv Sena UBT contested 22 seats and won nine. Shirsat pointed out that they should analyze why the strike rate was poor, but they are not undertaking such an analysis.

In another press conference, Shiv Sena Minister Deepak Kesarkar suggested that the electoral success of Sena UBT candidates was largely due to significant support from the Muslim community. Kesarkar alleged that Muslim voters were convinced by Uddhav Thackeray’s abandonment of Hindutva.

He emphasised the overwhelming support Shiv Sena received from Mumbai residents, attributing 80% of the votes to the party.

“Over the past two days, Sena UBT has been portraying a different narrative in Maharashtra, suggesting that Marathi voters are not supporting Shiv Sena. However, in 7 out of 13 seats, Sena UBT candidates were defeated. Shiv Sena secured the support of both Mumbaikars and Marathi voters, with 80% of voters in Mumbai backing Shiv Sena,” he stated.