Shiv Sena would have secured double-digit tally in LS polls if nominees not replaced in some seats: Eknath Shinde

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said Shiv Sena led by him would have won seats in double digits in the Lok Sabha elections had the party candidates not been changed in 3 to 4 constituencies.

"If we had not changed our candidates on 3-4 seats, our tally would have been in double digits. We indeed performed well in the Lok Sabha elections," he told a gathering of Shiv Sena workers.

In the maiden Lok Sabha election after the split in undivided Shiv Sena, the party led by Shinde won seven seats out of 15 constituencies it had contested. The rival Shiv Sena (UBT) won nine constituencies out of 21 it had contested.

Shinde-led Sena replaced candidates in Yavatmal-Washim and Hingoli Lok Sabha seats. Additionally, the announcement of Nashik candidate Hemant Godse was delayed by weeks over the lack of consensus over his name in the constituents of the Shiv Sena-led Mahayuti alliance, comprising BJP and NCP.

However, sources in Shiv Sena claimed though the party was not willing to replace candidates, the party was pressured to do so in the names of some electoral surveys.

The poll outcome was not as per our expectations, they said, adding that Shiv Sena lost from some constituencies due to the extreme delay in finalising candidates.

Shinde claimed 80 ex-corporators in Mumbai have joined Shiv Sena, including 50 from rival Shiv Sena (UBT) so far.