The BJP lacks another prominent face to replace Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whereas the INDIA bloc have multiple leaders who can take up the role of the PM, Aaditya Thackeray claims a strong undercurrent favouring the Opposition alliance across the country.
Excerpts from the interview with The Hindu:
You have been campaigning across the State. What does the situation look like?
I can speak for the State, but what I’ve also observed and heard from all over the country suggests a strong undercurrent favouring the INDIA bloc. This sentiment stems from a decade of misgovernance by the BJP. Despite being in power at the Centre and in many States simultaneously, if top leaders of a party still resort to dividing people along communal lines, it raises concerns about the progress claimed by them. The BJP tries to exploit the religious divide when not performing well in the polls.
What do you have to say about PM’s recent remarks [targeting a particular community] in Rajasthan?
It is unfortunate. I won’t single out any specific leader as our battle is against the BJP’s attitude, its divisive and dictatorial approach. I might receive a notice from the Election Commission of India (ECI) for discussing this but the BJP definitely won’t get a notice or it will just get a ‘friendly notice’ as the poll body has been completely subdued by it and it is probably working from the BJP office.
The ECI has issued a notice to your party for using ‘Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji’ in a campaign song.
The ECI has been biased towards us for the past two-and-a-half years. They have legitimised something unconstitutional by recognising the ‘Mindhe’ gang (referring to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction getting the Shiv Sena party name and symbol).
While BJP leaders are attempting to polarise voters and spread hate, we advocate for something that is intrinsic to Maharashtra’s identity. The Election Commission appears to be anti-Maharashtra, just like the BJP. They seem to disregard our State. You can put us behind bars or hang us wherever you want, but we will not cease saying ‘Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji’. We will not bow down to them.
What makes you to believe that the BJP harbours animosity towards Maharashtra, a State that sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha, second only to Uttar Pradesh’s 80 seats?
The Centre allowed Gujarat to proceed with the export of onions, but Maharashtra was not granted the same permission. Additionally, Vedanta-Foxconn (semiconductor unit) was taken away from Maharashtra to Gujarat, only to eventually be lost altogether. Similarly, important projects such as Airbus-Tata, Bulk Drug Park, Medical Device Park, and even the World Cup cricket final were diverted to Gujarat instead of established centres like Eden Gardens, Wankhede in Mumbai, or Mohali. This is not to express any bias against Gujarat, but rather to highlight the BJP’s apparent preference for imposing Gujarati contractors on our State, depriving Maharashtra of job opportunities and industries. This is why we, as Maharashtra, feel neglected, much like what Ladakh is experiencing.
How different is the 2024 election campaigning as compared to 2019?
In 2019, we decided to reconcile with the BJP when its top leadership visited Matoshree (the Thackeray family residence in Mumbai). They had parted ways with us during the 2014 Assembly poll. In 2019, they needed us, now they need other parties. This time, they had to break the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Even now they are trying to lure a Thackeray (Raj Thackeray) as we are not aligned with them. What will Maharashtra gain by voting for the BJP? Nothing.
The BJP has been raising the slogan of “abki baar 400 paar.” Do you think the Modi factor is influencing voters in Maharashtra?
People are saying ‘abki baar BJP tadipaar’. Why aim for 400 seats? They had been in power for the past 10 years. They should tell what have they achieved in the past decade. Farmers’ income was supposed to be doubled. Has it been doubled? No. Where are the smart cities? Are these on the moon? These were some of the jumlas, now rebranded as guarantees.
Who do you see as a viable alternative to Mr. Modi?
The BJP lacks a prominent face to replace Mr. Modi. Are you suggesting that in a country of over a billion people, everyone else is worthless? The INDIA bloc has multiple leaders who can replace him.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his faction’s leaders have labelled the Thackerays as inaccessible. How do you respond to Mr. Shinde’s criticisms?
Uddhavji must have been inaccessible to him (Mr. Shinde) when he went to crack a deal with the BJP. The rest of the time, every person across Maharashtra has found Mr. Uddhav Thackeray accessible. This coward only ran away to save himself from jail and he wanted to be with the BJP to save his skin. He did this in the worst of our times (when Uddhav Thackeray underwent two surgeries while he was the Chief Minister).
Do you attribute the split in your party to the State or Central leadership of the BJP?
The BJP has been instrumental in making politics dirty. Devendra Fadnavis [Deputy Chief Minister] said he took revenge on us. But does seeking revenge entail splitting a party that supported your party and its leaders during their challenging times? They even demeaned the holiest shrine for us, my grandfather’s room (where Shiv Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray used to meet workers, people and even celebrities) as a mere ‘kholi’ (small room). Similarly, they fractured the Pawar family, pitting them against each other. Such dirty politics, never witnessed before in Maharashtra, is being orchestrated by the BJP, but we are determined to halt this invasion.
What impact do you believe the Maratha reservation issue would have in the ongoing election?
Every issue will have an impact in the State. The BJP has been befooling every caste across India. In Maharashtra, they made multiple promises, including reservation for Marathas and Dhangars. Despite holding power both at the Centre and the State, they have allowed various issues to escalate without addressing them for the benefit of people.
As a young leader, how do you define Hindutva? Do you think your party’s core agenda has been diluted, as alleged by Mr. Shinde’s outfit?
This is laughable. Our Hindutva is very clear -- Hriday me Ram aur haath ka kaam (Ram in our hearts and skill in our hands). Religion resides in our hearts, but in governance, the Constitution must prevail as the supreme religion. Our Hindutva does not dictate what to eat or what to wear.
Would you ever reconsider forging an alliance with the BJP, given that your party has aligned with the Congress, the Shiv Sena’s arch rival?
Those against whom we fought in the past — be it for corruption or misgovernance — have joined the BJP, forcing us to confront the BJP now. The Congress today appears cleaner than before. We have united under the INDIA bloc to safeguard our democracy, freedom of speech and Constitutional rights. The BJP that we supported in the past was the party of (Atal Bihari) Vajpayeeji, which believed in transparency, accountability, coexistence and inclusivity. Today’s BJP only believes in the coexistence of the ED, IT, and the CBI, and that too only to serve their purpose. My grandfather had openly supported the Congress in the presidential elections when Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee were fielded.
There was friction over seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha with Congress.
Seat-sharing issues are bound to take place between allies. It’s part of the election process. If these don’t arise, it signifies that both parties lack strength. All negotiations have been concluded and we are now unitedly fighting for democracy and our Constitution.