MUMBAI: By refusing to enter into a pre-civic poll alliance with the BJP, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has made a a bold political move. Proud of the fact that his party’s performance in the 2014 Assembly elections denied BJP an absolute majority in the State, Mr. Thackeray is aiming for a double: victory in the BMC polls and a formal entry into national politics.
Calling for a third front comprising regional parties to counter the BJP’s “arrogance” — he calls it the BJP of Modi and Shah — Mr. Thackeray said, “In the same way we united as NDA to defeat the Congress, it is time to come together to form a third front to defeat arrogance.”
Is the decision to go it alone the right one?
Absolutely. I can’t even imagine my photo with Pappu Kalani on campaign posters. Now they have Modi, Shah and Kalani, smiling side by side. Good for them. Who are they enrolling in their party? Goons? But even the BJP doesn’t have an option. After all, there is no cadre strength at the ground level. What can they do? They have to rely on people like Kalani. I won’t be surprised if I find Dawood sitting on the BJP dais, renamed Dawoodacharya.
Is this why the Sena doesn’t want an alliance with the BJP?
Seat sharing was an issue as well, on which I have talked at length. We’ve done so many wonderful things for Mumbai, which they [BJP] appreciated when we were together. Now that we’re not meeting their seats demand, we’ve suddenly become corrupt and non-transparent.
The CM rejected your claim of Mumbai being the most transparent city.
He is a good man, but has now turned into an absolute liar just to save his post, which is at Delhi’s mercy. I could’ve never imagined he would lie about the Economic Survey, prepared by his own government. This is the original copy (waving the book in hand). Read. Mumbai stands number one in transparency. Have you [CM] stooped so low that you will defame the city for your political gain?
BJP says one party at the Centre, State and civic body will speed up development.
The city is witnessing a hoarding war between us and them. We are showcasing what we have done and funnily enough, BJP is showcasing the Congress’s achievements, like the Metro, as theirs. How does a Chhatrapati Shivaji statue or a memorial to Dr. Ambedkar become a civic election issue? These are State government projects. The BJP is claiming it [as their achievement] because they have nothing to claim credit for. Where is BJP-ruled Nagpur on the transparency scale? Never mind the bottom three, it’s not even on the list. When we were together, the BJP’s contribution to the manifesto was photos of their leaders. They know nothing about the city.
Why are you still a part of the State government?
Our aim was to keep the Congress out. We were emotionally attached to the BJP of Vajpayee, Advani and Mahajan. Those leaders had thought, vision and not the arrogance seen in today’s BJP. Wait till the civic elections for our next move. The BJP ditched us at the last moment before the Assembly elections. Yes, we were unprepared, but we fought and we were the first to stop the BJP’s victory march. This will be repeated in Mumbai. There will be no post-poll alliance. There will be no need for it.
Will your decision to go national pit you against the BJP in other States?
Yes, why not? I think a strong third front made up of regional parties is needed now, be it Mamata Banerjee or someone in Orissa. We can come together on a Common Minimum Programme and decide on the next path. Frankly, I have not talked to anyone, but I have floated the idea now. Let’s see the response. This BJP is full of arrogance and we need to come together to wipe that off the party’s face.
Were you always against an alliance with the MNS, or did their proposal come too late?
I don’t want to talk about it. We are in the middle of campaigning, so let’s talk about things which have actually happened.
You have been campaigning only in Mumbai and Thane. Aren’t you concerned about the Zilla Parishad polls?
Yes I am. We have distributed responsibilities among party leaders. They are capable of handling matters and I may address a few rallies later. Demonetisation has hurt farmers, especially when they were hoping for a good crop after satisfactory rains. Farmer suicides haven’t stopped, and the State government hasn’t announced loan waivers. We have these demands and we will continue to pursue them.
The current Sena manifesto repeats several promises made in the previous one.
I have admitted that we couldn’t complete some things in the last five years, like the Gargai-Pinjal irrigation project, Coastal Road and a museum showcasing Marathi culture. The first two are awaiting permissions, and a location is yet to be found for the museum. I accept my shortcomings and don’t try to divert attention by doing something else.
