Alliance with Shiv Sena "limited only to Maharashtra": Gopinath Munde

MUMBAI: BJP leader Gopinath Munde today sought to play down Shiv Sena's decision to field candidates in a few constituencies in Uttar Pradesh and in some other states by saying that the two parties were in alliance only in Maharashtra.

"Our alliance is limited only to Maharashtra. There is no Sena-BJP alliance outside Maharashtra," senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde said here, when asked about Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut's statement that his party would field candidates in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections.

Munde pointed that Shiv Sena has declared it won't contest against Narendra Modi or Rajnath Singh and said that there was "no miscommunication" between Sena and BJP.

"There is no miscommunication between Sena and BJP. In fact, I spoke to Sena president Uddhav Thackeray (on this issue) earlier today," the BJP leader said.

The Sena's move to field candidates in other states, especially in UP, is being seen as a payback for the BJP's alliance with MNS chief Raj Thackeray.

Targeting former BJP president Nitin Gadkari over his request to Raj Thackeray not to field candidates in Lok Sabha polls, Shiv Sena had said the senior BJP leader is a "businessman, who has inked a deal with the MNS chief".