Fadanvis hopeful of Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in 2019 elections

Mumbai, Apr 11: Exuding confidence, though subtly, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis said that the “real secular parties believing in Hindutva philosophy” would join hands to defeat the “pseudo secular parties” who are coming together to defeat the BJP.

Hinting that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will work in the coming elections also, Fadanvis said that Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray would have been the chief minister had the two parties contested the 2014 assembly elections together.

Fadanvis was interviewed by Shiv Sena MP and Editor of Sena Mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ Sanjay Raut who is considered as a ‘harsh critic’ of the BJP government at the centre and the state. Considering the nature of Sanjay Raut, and the hard line adopted by the ‘Saamana’ towards the policies of the BJP, it was expected that the interview would witness some moments of tension.

But to the surprise of all, there was none. On the contrary, there were some lighter moments as Fadanvis gave replies with a mature deftness and shrewdness to most tricky questions from Raut.

He said the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance broke before the 2014 state polls because of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party’s ‘adamant’ attitude on seat-sharing. “We were ready to offer 147 seats but you insisted on 151”, he said adding that had you accepted our offer and contested you would have won 120 seats and in that situation Uddhav Thackeray would have become the chief minister of the state, Fadanvis said.

“The Shiv Sena may be a party led by Uddhav Thackeray, but it follows the ethos of late Balasaheb Thackeray. Looking at the current situation, I can say that all secular, but Hindutva parties will come together to counter the pseudo-secular opposition parties,” the Chief Minister said.

“This was Balasaheb’s thinking as well,” Fadnavis said.

The Chief Minister made these comments during the interview conducted by Sanjay Raut, at a Lokmat Group programme here. Lokmat Group Chairman and Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda was also present at the event.

Raut asked Fadnavis how he knew the Sena's future plans when he could not even predict the next move of the RSS.

To this, the chief minister said that the Shiv Sena is a political party and hence it is easy to predict what it will do in future.

“The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) does not have any political compulsions. Its programmes are fixed at times a year in advance and it executes them as per their schedule,” Fadnavis said.

When Raut asked him why Bal Thackeray’s Hindutva ideology was forgotten by the BJP in 2014 when it snapped ties with the Sena, Fadnavis blamed the estranged ally for being adamant for just four more seats.

“We had offered you 147 seats, but you were adamant on 151. Had you accepted our offer, the Sena would have got more seats than the BJP (in the ensuing Assembly polls), and either Uddhavji or you would have become the CM,” Fadanvis retorted.

He denied that Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP chief Amit Shah hold the ‘remote control’ of the Maharashtra government.

“He (Modi) has asked us not to take populist measures. He says don’t take populist measures and don’t make announcements that cannot be implemented,” said Fadnavis.

The Chief Minister also appealed to all political parties to introspect whether they were glorifying criminals by inducting them. People too should decide if such criminals should be elected, he said.

Fadnavis denied that he has failed as the state’s home minister, saying the conviction rate is important and not the crime rate.

“In the last three years, we have taken the rate of conviction to 32 per cent from 8 per cent. That is my achievement.... (late NCP leader and former home minister) R R Patil had once told me that the CM must keep the Home portfolio with himself, because most of the decisions of the department are given a final nod by the CM,” he said.

To a question on former Congress leader Narayan Rane, Fadnavis said the Sena -- Rane's former party -- should introspect why the BJP had to take him in.

“We joined hands with him because you are giving us step-motherly treatment,” he quipped.