Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut questions credibility of agencies after BJP fields ex-ED officer in UP polls

Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday questioned the credibility of agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the officers of which are opting for voluntary retirement and joining political parties, and said the Sena will contest on 50 to 60 seats in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

"The BJP uses officers of enforcement agencies to raid its political rivals and then gives them tickets to contest elections," he said, hitting out at the saffron party which has announced former ED officer Rajeshwar Singh's candidature from the Sarojini Nagar constituency in Lucknow.

Talking to reporters here, Raut wondered how can anyone trust an agency when one of its officers contests an election on a BJP ticket.

He said teams of the ED are visiting the houses of opposition leaders in Maharashtra, adding that a press conference on the issue will be held soon.

Talking about his party's plans regarding the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Raut said the Shiv Sena will contest on 50 to 60 seats.

"We have already declared candidates on around 20 seats in Uttar Pradesh. We are not in an alliance with any major party but have partnered with some smaller groups. We will also contest the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh on 15 to 20 seats," he said.

Raut, who is the editor of Shiv Sena's mouthpiece "Saamana", also alleged that nominations of his party's candidates were rejected in Uttar Pradesh on the directives of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Around 15 nominations of our candidates were cancelled in Uttar Pradesh at the behest of the BJP because it is afraid of losing at the hands of our candidates. We will continue with our efforts and contest the polls," he said.

Criticising a recent attack on AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, Raut said, "Tall claims on law and order are made in Uttar Pradesh. It is said that the rule of gangsters has been finished, but when political leaders visit the state, bullets are fired at them. This means that the state of law and order is not right in Uttar Pradesh."