Uttan, July 03: Downplaying its much-touted `Mee Mumbaikar' campaign, the Shiv Sena, in an effort to broaden its votebank, today extended an olive branch to Dalits saying it would consider giving tickets to them in the assembly elections next year as part of the party's endeavour to unite `Shiv Shakti' and `Bhim Shakti'. "The Sena's call for unifying Shiv Shakti and Bhim Shakti has evoked tremendous response. Now nobody can stop this friendship from blossoming," Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, who had mooted the idea in an effort to woo the 11.5 per cent Dalit electorate, told reporters here. Uddhav, flanked by cousin Raj and opposition leader in Maharashtra Assembly Narayan Rane, talked to the media after addressing the party's two-day `Nirdhar Shibir' being held at Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in the district. "Wherever possible we will give tickets to Dalits or else enter into an alliance if the candidate is contesting on a ticket of a smaller party," Uddhav said.
The Dalit population is hugely responding to the Sena's appeal and even if Republican Party leaders are perturbed about this move, they would still strongly back the Sena in the coming elections, he hoped. Bureau Report