Your pre-poll alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party broke, a post-poll alliance did not take place and now the government is sustaining itself with the Nationalist Congress Party’s support. Did you not get any hint from the BJP about its new political equation with the NCP?
It is true that when the pre-poll alliance was broken, the NCP also parted ways with the Congress. The NCP was also quick in extending its support to BJP immediately after polls. NCP chief Sharad Pawar initially said they would abstain during voting, but later said the party would vote. The NCP’s willingness to help the BJP was very symbolic. We got hints, and now the BJP-NCP alliance is like an open secret. Shiv Sena and the BJP didn’t part ways. Our alliance with the BJP was broken deliberately. But the media projected as if we broke the alliance. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis repeatedly said during the election campaign that the party would not take support from NCP. But they did, to survive.
But you were not ready to give more seats to the BJP and it was this disagreement till the last minute that broke the alliance.
Uddhav saheb has already made many things clear during his speech in the Rangsharda auditorium. It was our party which was ready to lose 18 seats for the smaller alliance partners and the BJP. The BJP was not losing anything in the seat sharing. So it is completely false to say that we were not ready to give more seats. The media reports on seat sharing were incorrect. We did not break alliance.
Many alliance partners left you and preferred to remain with the BJP. Did that have any impact on your results? Some who did not join you, regretted their decision later.
They should have thought before joining the party (BJP). There is no point in regretting now. We also felt sad when friends left us. But our leadership was strong enough to sustain and get success on its own strength.
After parting ways, a verbal war was witnessed between the Shiv Sena and BJP. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray hit at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Was that a part of strategy?
This was part of the election campaign and not any pre-planned strategy. Such allegations and counter allegations are made from both the sides during poll campaigns and is limited to the period. There was no intension to disrespect anyone.
Had you anticipated these results? BJP emerged as the single largest party despite having no ground network.
You see, on one hand there was Prime Minister Modi, his ministers, big BJP leaders from other states, and on the other Uddhavji was battling alone. The BJP is in power in many states and chief ministers, ministers, MLAs and even corporators from those states had also come to campaign for the Assembly. Uddhavji fought against the ruling party of the country. But he had support from the people of Maharashtra. The party’s representatives were elected from 63 seats only because of Udhhav saheb. The Sena had won only 44 seats in the last Assembly polls despite being in the alliance with the BJP. That Uddhavaji on his own, without the alliance, managed to increase Shiv Sena’s seats in the state is commendable.
Why were there discussions about joining the government till the last minute? What were your demands about ministries that the BJP did not agree to?
News reports about the discussions, negotiations were completely misleading. The picture is clear that the BJP-led government is ruling and we are sitting in Opposition. And as the Opposition party we had claimed the post of Leader of Opposition. Even when there were reports about confusion over ministries, we have already started our work as the Opposition party.
Your party vehemently opposed the trust vote by the government.
This government is illegitimate according to the Constitution. When it has only 10 ministers, how have they fulfilled the provision of Article 164 of the Constitution? According to a provision of Article 164, the strength of Council of Ministers headed by the chief minister cannot exceed 15 per cent of the strength of the Assembly (the total number of MLAs), but it can’t be less than 12 members either. The BJP has only 10 ministers.
We explained this to the governor. On the trust vote day, the Speaker changed the chronology of the items on agenda. Initially there was a selection of Leader of Opposition and then the vote of confidence. The Speaker first called for the vote of confidence and that created confusion. Amid the uproar and chaos, the government pushed for the majority through voice vote. We called for division, which was completely ignored. It is mandatory for the Speaker to consider the votes against the government, but he did not even utter it and passed the motion. The chief minister talked about transparent government, but why wasn’t the vote of confidence conducted in that manner? The government’s majority is still not clear. They should show support from 145 MLAs, which they don’t have.
When there is absolute majority, the voice vote does not make much difference. But this government has only 122 numbers and in that case voice vote would not do. Yet the BJP hurried the trust vote. You will soon know the further course of action we plan.
Shiv Sena has been complaining about being treated badly by the BJP since the beginning, yet you tried to remain with the BJP till the end. Do you feel cheated, humiliated by the BJP?
We did not get the right treatment and our pride is more important than anything else. We are not greedy for power. Uddhavji’s stand was clear that the alliance should be on the basis of fair treatment to Sena. We did not want to compromise our honour and pride. We would not have refused the ministry at the Centre if we were hungry for power. The BJP was ready to swear-in MP Anil Desai in their government. But Uddhavji did not want to compromise over the state issue for the ministry. So Mr Desai was called back.
One saffron party is ruling Maharashtra, while another saffron party is in Opposition. How different will your position on issues be from the ruling party’s?
I do not know if the BJP is pro-Hindutva any more. They have taken support from the NCP. The NCP leadership had hit at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the soul of BJP. Even NCP chief Mr Pawar had criticised the RSS openly. How can BJP talk about Hindutva now? Their ideology will be questioned now.
The BJP also claims Maharashtra’s pride, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj?
Their claim was limited to polls. We worship Shivaji Maharaj and no one should use his name for personal gains.
What will be your strategy as the Opposition leader?
We will cooperate with the government on pro-public decisions. However, we will question their mistakes, delays and apathy towards certain issues. We will not spare the government in the Assembly if they do not follow the right course of action and also take the fight to the roads. I will honestly work as the Leader of Opposition and raise issues which concern the people in the state. We will also not allow Maharashtra to broken as there has been demand for separate Vidarbha.
Any chance of a re-alliance with the BJP?
That is not in my hands.
