Political temperature soared in Mumbai on Tuesday, as Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray set the stage for a bitter pre-poll confrontation with MNS chief Raj Thackeray by ridiculing the latter for his “hooligan” stance in Mumbai and “slavish” approach towards Delhi and said his cousin-cum-political rival was the main cause of strained relations between the Sena and the BJP in the recent past.
In a final part of an interview published in the Sena’s official mouth-piece Saamna, Uddhav ripped Raj apart, by dubbing the MNS chief as “modern Aurangzeb” and exhorting the voters not to fall prey for the latter’s enticements.
“Here is a person who indulges in hooliganism in gully (in Mumbai), but is slavish in his approach when it comes to dealing those in Delhi. Force these kind of people to cool their heels at their homes. Please not do not fall prey enticement of this Maharashtra’s modern Aurangazeb,” Uddhav asked the voters in the State, as he lashed out at his cousin Raj in the interview that put a permanent lid on an alliance between Sena-BJP combine and MNS.
Alluding indirectly to senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari’s much-discussed meeting with the MNS chief ostensibly to seek the latter’s support to prevent division of traditional Marathi votes, Uddhav said that Raj, whom he did not name, was the main cause for growing tension between the Sena and the BJP in the recent past.
“The tension between the Sena and BJP in the recent past was due to one man I was forced to ask some hard-hitting questions to the BJP leaders. After that, (BJP president) Rajnathji personally spoke to me. Narendra Modi also spoke to me. Rajnathji rushed Rajiv Pratap Rudi, who was preparing to take on RJD’s Rabri Devi in lok Sabha polls in Bihar, to me to sort out the differences between the two parties. That speaks of the strong relations between the Sena and BJP," Uddhav said.
Replying to a question, Uddhav said: “Both Modi and Rajnath assured me that till they were around, the question of BJP allying with any other party than Shiv Sena would not arise… Rajnathji went on record saying that the Shiv Sena is BJP’s oldest and loyal ally.. Despite the ups and downs, the Shiv Sena has not parted ways with the BJP. Nor has the BJP has severed its links with the Sena. This is because: More than power, if anything that has brought the Sena and BJP together is the national interest and the Hindutva cause”.
On Gadkari’s initiative to hold talks with the MNS chief, Uddhav said: “let us face it, division of votes take place even if Independent candidates are put up against us at various places. The questions that arise in this case: Had the issue (of initiating talks with the MNS chief) been discussed between the Sena and BJPIJ Had Gadkari been authorised by his party leadership to hold talks with RajIJ. There can be many questions. Given that the alliance between the Sena and BJP is so strong, why do we need another partyIJ”.
Asked to comment on Gadkari’s remark that nothing useful emerged out of his meeting with the MNS chief, because of the Sena’s “over-reaction”, Uddhav said: “I have nothing to say about his (Gadkari’s) remark. Because if I say something again, it will result in another controversy. .. Since the BJP leadership has taken cognizance of the whole issue, I have nothing more to say on this”.
Uddhav said that the AAP factor would not work in Maharashtra.”First, the AAP captured power in Delhi and is now trying to take over the reins of the country… The people of Delhi, to an extent, found AAP as an alternative to the Congress. But, the fact remains the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the Delhi polls. If the BJP had declared its chief ministerial candidate three to four months before the polls, the BJP would have got majority in the Delhi polls,” the Sena president said.
On his Sena’s decision to contest elections outside Maharashtra, Uddhav said the party had its network in about 18 states. "Shiv Sainiks in states like Gujarat, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir are functioning keeping Bal Thackeray's ideals in mind. I have told them to contest elections but not at the cost of hurting BJP's prospects," he said.