Shiv Sena fields Muslim candidate in Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 6 (ANI): The Shiv Sena has fielded a Muslim candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections in Mumbai.

Shahid Reja Beg is contesting the Assembly elections from the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency.

Beg is pitted against Abu Asim Azmi and Sayad Ahmed of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress respectively.

"Shiv Sena is a party which can solve the problems of the people. It is not associated with a religion or caste. It is a party that works for the people. It is the other parties, which try to give a bad name to Shiv Sena," said Beg.

Shiv Sena has been known to propagate Hindu beliefs. Therefore, the move to field a Muslim candidate is being seen as a change in the party's core political belief.

"For years, people have been labelling Shiv Sena as a religious outfit. So to prove them wrong, Shiv Sena has fielded a Muslim candidate," said Mahadev Ramrao Ambrekar, a Shiv Sena worker.

Beg's candidature has received widespread support from the people.

"We appreciate him and are supporting him. And by god's grace, the ticket from Shiv Sena is going to spell success," said Ahmed Siddiqui, a resident.

The Shiv Sena has joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to contest the Assembly polls.

The saffron alliance has declared its seat sharing formula of 169:119 (Shiv Sena-BJP) for the upcoming Assembly elections.

In the 2004 elections, the Sena had contested 171 and the BJP 117 seats. The alliance had jointly bagged 119 seats against the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party's tally of 139.he state will go to polls on October 13.(ANI)