Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray Says Listening To Your Alliance Partners ‘Is Not Under Pressure’
On November 27, Maharashtra’s Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray asked how there could be an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the future when the latter had replaced “civility with evil”.
In an interview on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) tripartite government in Maharashtra, Mr. Thackeray said: “Our response will be cultured. And let me be very clear. History has shown us that whenever there is a conflict between these two sides, the cultured side has always won.
On November 28, 2019, Thackeray was sworn in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra after a dramatic turn of events. Sena, a longtime ally of the BJP, chose to secede and joined unlikely allies in Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Thackeray also became the first Thackeray to hold legislative office, breaking with the party’s previous tradition of extending control from the outside.
Seen as inexperienced in managing the administration, Mr. Thackeray faced the challenge of a pandemic in his first year in office. Incessantly attacked by the opposition BJP and tasked with managing two allies, the MVA completes a year in office on November 28. The Hindu Alok Deshpande spoke to Mr. Thackeray about his inexperience; the constant attacks of the BJP; attempts to destabilize his government; and if he would complete the five-year term.
Interview text:
The tripartite government of the MVA completes a year in office today. From an unlikely alliance with Congress and the PNC to entering the legislature for the first time, how was this year?
Today we celebrate a year in this government that was formed unexpectedly. No one had imagined its formation, and once formed, there were doubts if it would work. Also, many had reservations about me since I had no experience in running an administration. Thanks to my colleagues – Sharad Pawar-Hee, Sonia GandhiHee – we made it work. People overwhelmingly welcomed this experiment. Regardless of the pandemic, it was as a collective effort that this government fulfilled its functions.
He mentioned that he lacked administrative experience. How difficult was it to run the alliance government?
I may not have been in the chair [of Chief Minister] before, but I knew what power means and how it works. The only difference for me is that now I sit in this chair and instead of asking or demanding someone, I make the decisions. I always believe in teamwork. This will also continue in the future. It was alleged that I gave in under pressure from my two allies. They are my colleagues in government. Listening to them is not the same as being under pressure. I have also heard criticism that a circle of IAS officials has surrounded me. What are they for if they don’t surround me? We need to take your [civil servants’] cooperation in the functioning of government and administration [bureaucracy] He has supported me since day one.
You are under continuous attack from the BJP opponent, both as CM and as Shiv Sena’s boss. His minister son Aaditya Thackeray, and his wife Rashmi, have also been attacked. How do you respond?
We never play the politics of wickedness; he never launched personal attacks against the families, children and wives of members of the opposition; never tried to destroy their lives. I pointed [PM Narendra] Modi and [Union Home Minister] Shah in politics and not in personal matters. This is not my Hindutva. My Hindutva is cultured. The part that allows such perversity should never talk about Hindutva. I follow the Hindutva of my father and my grandfather. What they [the BJP] claiming to be practicing is not Hindutva but a delusion. They are a stain on Hindutva.
Does that mean you have permanently severed ties to the BJP?
You ask me what will happen after four years. I always wonder how [the Shiv Sena] were allied for 25 years with someone [the BJP] that shows so much wickedness. How can there be an alliance if its civility is replaced by wickedness?
Will the MVA stay united in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls?
Yes. We will fight at the polls as an alliance. We successfully formed the alliance after the 2019 elections. Today we are together. We will fight like the MVA in the next civic elections.
The BJP has already started preparations to dethrone the Shiv Sena at the BMC. And your preparations?
It seems that the BJP desperately needs to win Mumbai to stay on their feet once again. After all, the greed to win Mumbai will continue to exist, no matter how many states you win. And yes, it hurts them that Mumbai remains to be won. They also tried it last time. This time, we will be three [the MVA partners]. Mumbai supports the Shiv Sena, it will continue to do so.
Did you anticipate problems from the central government when you took office a year ago? Are central agencies interfering in the functioning of the State?
Should that be a question in a democratic republic? All of us, including the Prime Minister, have assumed our positions after being sworn in. Our states were linguistically divided. How do we see them divided on the basis of which political party rules where now? Our problems are on the level of wickedness. But people are seeing it. They do not like it. Our response will be cultivated. And let me be very clear: history has shown us that whenever there is a conflict between these two sides, the cultured side has always won.
The governor of Maharashtra has yet to erase the list of 12 council members presented to him by the state cabinet. Which is the reason? Have you spoken with him?
We, as the Cabinet of State, have sent you the list. I haven’t heard from it since. We hope that the decorum of democracy will be maintained. After all, the rights, prestige, and intent of the governor are three important things here.
The BJP MLAs have been openly stating that the government will fall in the next two months. Is your government in danger?
The BJP has no choice but to say this, to keep its flock together. This hope will keep the BJP MLA going. There is no other reason.
COVID-19 covered nearly 70% of his first year in office. Did you have any plans that couldn’t be realized because of it?
The budget session of the Assembly had to be shortened due to the pandemic. We had to rush to get relief work done immediately, followed by a complete shift in focus towards improving health facilities. It is clear that [we] it will have to focus more on building health infrastructure, improving the current state of hospitals, securing the supply of medicines and appointing experts. This will definitely be reflected in the next budget, but we have also started to implement many of these projects.
Currently, the opposition is targeting his government for inflated energy bills. His party had promised concessions but this has not been fulfilled.
Shiv Sena’s manifesto had promised concessions on energy bills. It was an electoral promise that will be fulfilled. We never knew that the COVID situation would turn out like this, affecting the State’s resources. But let me assure you that our promise is not like the “Achche dinJumla. We would have expanded benefits had it not been for the coronavirus. We announce an agricultural loan exemption. We provide Shiv bhojan dishes as promised. We will also keep other promises.
What is the state of the Maratha reserve issue and when will it be resolved?
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the matter in front of a larger court. We are appealing to the court to take up the matter as soon as possible. It is up to them to decide. Not only is the issue of the Maratha reserve pending, but all the issues related to the reserves of different parts of the country. We are in talks with organizations. We are all together.
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