PANAJI:Shiv Sena, which has not been a strong political force in Goa, has now set its eyes on the upcoming state polls with party chief Uddhav Thackeray scheduled to meet the functionaries here next month.

“Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray would be in Goa in mid-October to guide our party functionaries. We have already begun building up a base in all constituencies,” chief of Goa unit of Shiv Sena, Sudip Tamankar, told PTI today.

“The local leaders are also planning to organise a mega public rally of Thackeray in November, which will give momentum to party’s campaign in the state,” he said. The party reiterated that it was ready to forge an alliance with ousted RSS Goa chief Subhash Velingkar if he floated a party before the state polls. Tamankar said Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who was recently in Goa, met Velingkar and held talks with him. “Discussions are on. We are on the same page with the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) and RSS Goa Prant led by Velingkar. If they float a party, we are willing to join hands with them and have pre-poll alliance in Goa,” he said. The state unit chief also said BBSM has been fighting for regional languages, which eventually will lead to protection of rights of ‘bhoomi-putra’ (sons of the soil). BBSM has been vociferously opposing grants to English medium schools in the state and had led agitations against the Laxmikant Parsekar government, demanding that primacy be given to Marathi and Konkani languages as the Medium of Instruction (MoI) in schools.–PTI