Mumbai: After achieving the unexpected success of forming the government in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena may set its eyes on expanding its base across the country as an alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut Wednesday said that it will not be surprising if the party forms the government at the Centre after having installed its chief minister in Maharashtra.

“I have been saying this from day one that we will form the government. I have said that our suryayaan (flight to the Sun) will land safely on the sixth floor of Mantralaya. But everyone laughed at us. Now our suryayaan has landed safely. People shouldn't be surprised if the Sena's suryayaan lands in Delhi,” Mr Raut said in Vidhan Bhavan.

Earlier too, during the time of party supremo, late Bal Thackeray, the Sena had tried to spread its wings across the country but without much success.

Continuing his tirade against the BJP, Mr Raut said, “The BJP could not impose its CM despite its ‘aghori’ attempts in Maharashtra. This is because there is dissent among the people of Maharashtra. The beginning of change is taking place from Maharashtra… Maharashtra has shown a new dawn to the country.”

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will be sworn in as the chief minister at Shivaji Park, Dadar, Thursday.

Mr Raut, who played a pivotal role in installing the Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress combine in the state, said that he had fulfilled his responsibility and would now focus on his job of running the party mouthpiece, Saamana.

In the October 21 Assembly elections. the BJP had won 105 seats, while the Sena, then its junior ally, emerged victorious on 56 seats. However, the alliance later fell apart over power sharing deal.