‘Today, unfortunately, jumlas are being re-branded as guarantees’
MUMBAI: BJP’S alleged communal polarisation, demonetisation, GST and Maharashtra getting a second-class treatment – Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray speaks about these issues and more in an interview with Shailesh Gaikwad.
Two phases of voting are over. What are people’s responses?
People of Maharashtra are asking what the state gained from 10 years of BJP’S majoritarian rule at the Centre. Maharashtra lost a lot as industries and projects were pushed away to Gujarat, such as International Finance Center, Vedanta Foxconn, bulk drugs park and medical devices park. Even the World Cup final match was taken to Ahmedabad when we were expecting it to be held in Mumbai (he says in jest).
Farmers are unhappy, industries are not doing well, investment is pushed away, unemployment and inflation are on the rise. This election is about people who will stand with Maharashtra – those who do not like BJP’S dirty politics, invoking religion and caste, and breaking up parties.
BJP leaders say they talk of development while INDIA bloc is about the parties that want to protect their dynasties and personal fiefdoms.
We are proud of our families – we can at least show what work the previous generations did for people. You can’t say the same about the BJP.
Besides, do they not have dynasties? In fact, most dynasties are with the BJP; as also the most corrupt. Those who faced corruption charges from BJP’S agencies -- not the country’s — like ED and IT are with the party now. Now, when everyone wants to know what they have done in 10 years, they are talking about mutton, mans, machhi and what people should wear.
When BJP is on the brink of losing, it turns to Hindu-muslim issues.
They are also alleging that INDIA, especially Congress, is following the agenda of appeasing Muslims. Your reaction?
It is shameful that a party that has run the country for 10 years has to resort to lies about the Congress’s manifesto. In fact, for the first time in a decade, Congress is setting the narrative which BJP is following. They continue t o blame Nehru and Indira Gandhi. What is the point of their governance? Why don’t they speak about demonetisation and the failed GST; about 100 smart cities? Farmers were denied the promised loan waivers, but industrialists had their loans written off. Unemployment is another issue. But all this does not fit BJP’S agenda.
In the 2012 civic polls we ran a campaign ‘ Karun Dakhwalye’ (We did it) based on what we did for the city in 20 years. I challenge BJP to come up with something similar. Today unfortunately, jumlas are being re-branded as guarantees.
BJP is blaming your party for setting the Marathi versus Gujarati narrative to polarise voters.
Under BJP we have been treated as second class citizens in the state. In the last decade, the IFC, which the UPA government had planned for Mumbai, was shifted to GIFT City in Gujarat. Vedanta and several other projects were diverted there. BJP has been overtly biased towards Gujarat and unfair towards Maharashtra. Why do they want bullet train from Mumbai to Ahmedabad? Why not between Mumbai and Delhi or Nagpur or Bengaluru?
BJP wants to break away Mumbai from Maharashtra and attach it to Gujarat. Since they cannot do it, they are breaking Mumbai’s economic strength – that’s what Mumbaikars feel. This is not about Marathi versus Gujaratis. I have mothing against Gujarat, but why snatch away from us to give Gujarat? People from across caste and religions come to Mumbai for employment. When projects like Vedanta or Foxconn are shifted, people lose their dreams of jobs.
Union minister Narayan Rane recently said Shiv Sena (UBT) will be wiped out after the elections. Your comment?
I don’t react to him – he has been employed to speak against us.
Your father, Uddhav Thackeray, recently spoke about past discussions with Devendra Fadnavis about your future role as chief minister.
It’s very simple. Run a poll on trustworthiness of Uddhav Thackeray against every BJP leader. You will get the answer. My father moved away from the BJP because their promises in 2019 were not honoured. We contested Lok Sabha with BJP in 2014 as we were partners with them for almost 30 years. In October 2014, BJP broke the alliance thinking they would get majority and form the government without us. In 2019, BJP’S senior leaders came to Matoshree, asking for an alliance and everything was set. The alliance broke in October because they did not keep their word.
The party never sticks to its word. Look at Mr Fadnavis’s politics even within the BJP – the top five names in BJP joined the party in 2019 or after that. All had corruption cases stacked against them, till they spoke to BJP top brass. Seasoned leaders such as Eknath Khadse, Vinod Tawde, Pankaja Munde have been side-lined. One person’s ego-centric politics is destroying the state BJP.
Do you see yourself as Maharashtra’s chief minister?
I never dreamt of that. I was very happy serving as a minister in the MVA government. It is important for me to have young voices in the legislature. I want to serve the people but I also want to clean up politics in the state. We will contest. Let people decide who can do what.
Your alliance partners were unhappy over seatsharing. Are they working together now?
All issues are settled. Partners negotiate for seats when they feel that they can win. On the other side, the alliance of BJP, ED, CBI, Shinde Sena and NCP could not even decide candidates for several seats till yesterday. Finally, they announced the names of the same people whom BJP had accused of corruption. So what are you offering to Maharashtra? Corrupt people?
Election Interview
Relations between Fadnavis and Matoshree were cordial till 2019. He seemed keen to keep Sena on board instead of NCP. What went wrong?
Dirty politics and breaking promises. He has admitted to breaking up two parties to return to power. Is the hunger for power so intense that you must break an 80-plus man’s family, or the party of a man who has undergone two major surgeries.