Notwithstanding the hints thrown by him earlier that his party might withdraw its support to the BJP-led Maharashtra Government after the February 21 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray is no mood to pull plug on the Devendra Fadnavis Government in haste.
In an interview to The Pioneer, a non-committal Uddhav said on Saturday, “After the polls, we will take a call, after watching as to what will be the attitude of the Devendra Fadnavis Government with regard to the issues of transparency (in its governance) raised by us.
At one stage of the interview, Uddhav said, “As far as our walking out of the State Government or otherwise is concerned, it is as much the Shiv Sena’s option as it is of the BJP. If they are unhappy with us and if they think we are corrupt, the BJP can also walk out of the State Government...It does not mean that either the Shiv Sena will continue to remain in this Government or withdraw its support to the State Government”.
Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “intimidating” remarks made by Narendra Modi at his Friday’s election rally at Haridwar that had janam patris (horoscopes) of Congressmen and warned them against speaking nonsense, Uddhav said no previous Prime Minister had stooped to the level that Modi did.
Uddhav expressed confidence that even if Modi were to campaign in the BMC polls as extensively he did for the BJP in the October 2014 Maharashtra polls, the Shiv Sena would come up trumps in the civic polls.
Here are the excerpts of the interview:
Having snapped its electoral ties with the BJP, the Shiv Sena — after a long gap of 20 years — is going it alone in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) pollsIJ How do you look at the pollsIJ Is it a tough battle or an easy oneIJ
There is tremendous enthusiasm among Shiv Sainiks. There is also a lot enthusiasm among Mumbaikars. The people are happy with our decision to severe our electoral ties with the BJP. I will confide with you honestly that I am getting very positive feedback from the people. When I go around the city in my car, people whom I happen to see through the window of the car, greet me profusely and many of them have even told me that the Sena has done a right thing by severing its electoral alliance with the BJP.
As far as the second part your question is concerned, it is going to be a very easy contest for us. You yourself said that we snapped the alliance with the BJP after being together in power in the BMC for more than 20 years. It is the same people (BJP) who are accusing us of indulging in corruption, despite having shared the power with us for more than two decades. They have suddenly noticed our acts of corruption and that too only on the eve of elections. That means they are lying through their teeth. As far as Congress and NCP are concerned, they are exposing their own acts of corruption during their previous Government in the stare, by making wild allegations against us.
You have gone on record challenging the BJP to field Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a campaigner in the BMC pollsIJ Now, it does not seem that either Modi and BJP president Amit Shah will campaign in Mumbai.
Whatever I do, I do it with confidence and with utmost sincerity. I have not posed any challenge nor it is my intent to pose any challenge to Modi (to come and campaign in the Mumbai polls). But the manner in which the Prime Minister has been campaigning in the ongoing Assembly polls in five states surprises me. In the October 2014 polls, the Prime Minister had — setting aside his official work — addressed as many 26 public rallies in Maharashtra. Even now, I do not know as to what is the official work he is doing, but he is spending most of his time addressing public rallies in the election-bound states in the country.
The problem today you cannot ask him (Modi) and his Government any question. So much so that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who had supported Modi on the demonetisation decision, has come out against the NDA Government. Modi has no answers to give us as how much of black money that the NDA Government has unearthed.
That’s why I said if Modi wants to set aside his work to come and campaign for his party in Mumbai, he is welcome to do so and spread his usual falsehood. He will get to see that the Sena enjoys the blessings of the people and it would win the polls hands down.
In Goa where the Shiv Sena is contesting, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is camping for the campaigning purpose…
From Goa, Parrikar has been making statements like, We will stop infiltration and give a fitting reply to Pakistan etc. When will he give a fitting reply to PakistanIJ All he is doing is hitting out at his political rivalsIJ
Of late, you have been indicating that you may withdraw support to the BJP-led Government after the BMC polls. Will you do soIJ Or are you reconsidering your threat to walk out of the GovernmentIJ
Ahead of the October 2014 Assembly polls, the BJP snapped the ties with us. In the polls, the Congress was thrown out of power in the state Since both the parties had achieved the objective of dislodging the Congress-led Government, I reconsidered the situation, put our feud with the BJP in the backburner and joined the government. But it was our mistake to have joined the Government.
After two years, we have realised that the BJP wants power at each and every level — at the Centre, State and now even at the BMC level.
In Mumbai, I do not need the support of the BJP. The people in the city are fed up of the BJP. They are angry with the BJP. In the BMC polls, Mumbaikars will go whole hog with the Sena.
You have spoken about pulling the plug on the Devendra Fadnavis Government..
I have just confirmed that we have put the State Government “on notice” and the notice has a timeline line code of conduct.
After the polls, we will take a call, after watching as to what will be the attitude of the Devendra Fadnavis government with regard to the issues of transparency (in its governance) raised by us.
It is I who has placed the transparency agenda on the State Government’s table. I have made it clear to the State Government: At the Cabinet meetings, I would like the leader of the Opposition, media and lokayukta to remain present at the Cabinet meetings. This is needed for bringing about transparency in the government. You have raised the issue of transparency with respect to municipal. I am asking for similar transparency in the State Government as well.
I am for all transparency. I am ready to put on line the notings of municipal commissioner and various elected representatives. I would like similar system in the state government, where the notings of the chief minister and the ministers made on files should be put on web. We will watch the state Government’s approach towards the issue of transparency.
Will the Sena and BJP come together once again as poll partnersIJ Will make it clear if the Sena would withdraw its support to the State GovernmentIJ
As far as our sharing the power is concerned, I am ruling out totally at the BMC level. We have also decided that the Sena would go it alone in all the elections henceforth. As far as our walking out of the state government otherwise is concerned, it is as much the Shiv Sena’s option as it is of the BJP.. Another thing is that it is the BJP ministers in the state government who are facing allegations of corruption and not the Shiv Sena…If they are unhappy with us and if they still think we are corrupt, the BJP can also walk out of the State Government.
All the same, let us go step by step. let the municipal and local body elections get over first, then we will think about all these issues. It does not mean that either the Shiv Sena will continue to remain in this Government or withdraw its support to the State Government.
At an election meeting yesterday, Modi warned the Congress against speaking non-sense and said he had janam patris (horoscopes) of everyone in that party and that their sins would chase the party men concerned. How do you react to thisIJ
Everyone has janam patrikas (horoscopes) even there is a patrika of Modiji also. He if late Thackeray had not stood by (the then Chief Minister of Gujarat) Modi, after the Godhara carnage, one cannot imagine where he would have been today. It does not behoove well for Prime Minister Modi to be speaking in such an intimidating manner this he did yesterday… That’s why I have been praising the previous Prime Ministers, including Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. Because, despite having so much of power, they never stooped to the level as Modi has done.
Can you list two to three achievements of the Modi Government during the 33 monthsIJ
(With an expressionless face): Why notIJ The Modi Government has completed 33 months in office and it has 27 months to go to complete its tenure.
We see the Shiv Sena making all out effort to woo Gujaratis settled in Mumbai. What kind of percentage of Gujaratis that you expect to support the Sena in the BMC pollsIJ
We are not doing much. Because, during the last two years, Gujarati traders and businessmen have faced the brunt of income raids and they are not happy with Modi’s demonetisation decision. The Gujaratis in the city are upset, unhappy and angry with the BJP. Till now they were in a dilemma as what to do if the BJP continued to contest the polls in alliance with the Sena. Now that the Shiv Sena snapped its ties with the BJP, the Gujaratis have found a way out of the situation — i.e supporting the Sena.
Will the Hadik Patel factor count in the BMC polls IJ (Patidar leader had met Uddhav Thackeray a few days ago and announced that he would stand by the Thackeray’s family in all its battles)
I have not looked at Hardik Patel from the point of view of deriving political benefits. He is just 23-year-old boy. These have slapped him with sedition charges. He had been sending messages to me saying that he wanted to come and pay respects to late Thackeray. I had suggested that he come on January 23 (the birth anniversary of late Thackeray). But, he had some preoccupations. He came and met me subsequently. He came to pay his respects to late Thackeray. Excepting saying that he had come to meet me, I have never used his name in my campaign speeches.
I asked Hardik if he had any political ambitions. He replied in the negative. My take on him is simple: If he develops into a bigger leader, I will use him as the face of the Shiv Sena in Gujarat.