As the ruling saffron alliance partners go into Maharashtra Assembly polls as favourites, the Chief Minister’s post threatens to become a major bone of contention between the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena, if not immediately after the polls but sometime in future.
For the second time in ten days, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has reiterated that a Shiv Sainik will become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. His reiteration comes in the context of Yuva Sena leader and his son Aditya Thackeray contesting the State Assembly polls scheduled for October 21.
Uddhav — who had said at party workers’ meeting held on September 28 that he had promised late Sena chief Balasaheb in the latter’s final days of life that he would make Shiv Sainik a Chief Minister one day — reiterated as much, in an interview published in the Sena’s official mouth-piece “Saamna” on Monday.
“I had promised late Balasaheb that I would make Shiv Sainik a Chief Minister. I will fulfill my promise if someone listens to me or not. I had not consulted anyone before making the promise to late Balasaheb, who meant everything to me — Guru, father and leader. I had not taken any one’s permission before making the promise. I do not need any one’s permission. Nor lack of permission from anyone would come in the way of my fulfilling my promise to late father,” Uddhav said in the first part of his published interview.
Uddhav, however, clarified that Aditya contesting the elections did not mean that he would become a Chief Minister or deputy chief minister immediately. “Aditya has come to the politics just now. He has joined electoral politics does not mean that he will become a chief minister or deputy chief minister immediately. Hold your horse. This is his first election. He has interest in the legislative and parliamentary business. Be it Assembly, Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, he follows the budgets or crucial bills presented there”.
“He even make it a point to sit in the gallery of State Legislative Council. He has interest. There is nothing wrong in this field. It is good that if youngsters — be it boys or girls — should enter politics. I sincerely feel that youngsters should take control of governance in the State and at the Central level,” Uddhav said
If Uddhav’s calibrated remarks are anything to go by, he would not rush into staking a claim for the Chief Minister’s post immediately after the polls — especially in the context of the fact that both BJP president Amit Shah has gone on record saying that incumbent chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will be the Chief Minister, if the BJP-Sena alliance returns to the power in the State.
At the same time, depending on the number of seats that the Shiv Sena will win in the elections, Uddhav will bargain with the BJP on the sharing power in the State. If the Shiv Sena on its own wins more than 90 to 100 seats in the State Assembly polls, it is likely that it will demand the chief ministerial post on a rotational basis i.e., first two half years the Chief Minister’s post would be with the BJP while for the remaining two and a half years it would be with the Sena. Or else, it would settle down for the deputy Chief Minister’s post.
Seeking to set the tone for his Tuesday’s customary Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park, Uddhav made it clear that with the advent of Adtiya Thackeray, he would not take political sanyas. “I am very much in politics. I will not take to agriculture. I will not take political sanyas. I will not rest till I fulfill the promise made to late Balasaheb that I will make a Shiv Sainik a Chief Minister. Till I fulfill my promise to my father, I will not quit politics”.
Asked if the Shiv Sena made a compromise by accepting as low as 124 seats in alliance with the BJP, Uddhav said: “I have not made any compromises. From the BJP side, Devendraji and Chandrakant dada used to request me that I should understand their position. I understood their position ( about their inability to allocate more number of seats to the Shiv Sena”.
Queried if the 124 seats was not the lowest number of seats ever contested by the Shiv Sena in the Assembly polls, Uddhav said: “You may think that 124 seats is the lowest number of seats ever contested by the Sena. But, this will be the first time when we will win more number of seats in the Assembly. This is just our first phase”.
On whether the BJP has violated 50:50 pact reached over sharing of seats and power with the Shiv Sena ahead of the recent Lok Sabha polls, Uddhav said: “We conducted ourselves responsibly. The important thing that came out of the press conference addressed after an understanding reached between the two parties, was equal sharing of responsibility and power in the Government. Seven to eight days after the State Assembly results come out on October 24, we will get to see new Cabinet in the State. Then you will get to know as to know as to what equal sharing of power is all about”.
Denying that he had thrust Aditya on the Shiv Sena, Uddhav said: “Late Balasaheb had told me that I would not thrust you on the party. You work for the party. If the party accept you, I would not come in your way. I have adopted a similar approach towards Aditya. Honestly speaking, he works harder than me many folds. In fact, he has lessened my burden”.