Mumbai: People are looking for change, says Sena about ongoing polls

Mumbai: Needling the BJP over the ongoing assembly elections, the Shiv Sena on Saturday said "failed" promises and demonetisation will have an impact on the poll outcome in the five states where people are looking for a "change."

The party, which has had strained ties with ally BJP and is fighting the civic elections here on its own, said these assembly elections will be the start of change in the country's politics.

"There is a big difference in the atmosphere during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and today. Results of Assembly polls of these five states will be reflecting the voters' disenchantment about demonetisaton and failed promises that have broken their dreams. All this is bound to impact the results," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana.

"Elections to five states are being seen as a dress rehearsal to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The polls in Punjab and Goa, where voting is being held today, will be the start of the change in the politics of the country," it said.

"People once again are looking for a change now. Last year's polls in Bihar had given a direction to this change and the polls in five states will put a seal on this changing times," the Sena said.

The Sena also noted that the drug menace and farm sector distress will be a major factor in Punjab.

While polling was held in Goa and Punjab today, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur will go to polls in the coming days.