Compromised with BJP on seat-sharing to remain in power: Uddhav | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Compromised with BJP on seat-sharing to remain in power: Uddhav

By, Mumbai
Oct 07, 2019 11:11 PM IST

The Shiv Sena compromised, when forging an alliance with the BJP for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, to retain power, the party’s chief Uddhav Thackeray admitted on Monday. But Thackeray insisted it was done to serve people of the state. His clarification came a day before the party’s Dussehra rally, in which he will addresses workers.

HT Image
HT Image

The Sena, which had pressed for at least 135 seats, settled for 124 seats and two seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, from the BJP quota.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The BJP and its smaller allies are contesting 164 of the 288 seats in the state Assembly polls, to be held on October 21.

In an interview to Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana, Thackeray said he has shown “maturity” in dealing with the alliance.

“We have formed an alliance with a resolve... I compromised in the alliance, but for Maharashtra. We are contesting fewer seats because [Maharashtra CM Devendra] Fadnavis and [state BJP chief] Chandrakant Patil requested me to understand their problem, which I considered,” Thackeray said in part one of the interview.

“I forged the alliance for power and there’s nothing to hide in that. With that power, I can give something to the 164 constituencies where Sena’s workers were ready to contest,” he added.

He stressed that he is working towards fulfilling his promise to Sena founder and his father Bal Thackeray that he would install a Sena chief minister in Maharashtra. “I am not going to quit politics until I fulfil the promise made to Balasaheb of making a Shiv Sainik the chief minister of Maharashtra. I will do it,” he said.

His son, Aaditya Thackeray, is the first person from the Thackeray family to contest elections since the Shiv Sena was founded by his grandfather Bal Thackeray in 1966. The Sena has fielded him from Worli constituency. “He is contesting, but that doesn’t mean that he will immediately become CM or deputy CM... He wants to have some legislative experience. He is interested in that,” Thackeray said, when asked about the responsibility Aaditya will take after getting elected.

On the BJP not fulfilling its promise of a 50:50 seat-sharing formula, Thackeray said that the people of Maharashtra are not blind. “Maharashtra is seeing everything—who is behaving in what manner and who is standing beside them,” he said. In a veiled jibe at the BJP, Thackeray also said that if there is no intent to fulfil promises, then building the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is “hollow”.

The Sena is expected to push the BJP to keep up its word on sharing power and responsibilities equally, if the saffron alliance comes back to power. According to Thackeray, an equal distribution of responsibilities and power is an “extremely important” aspect of the alliance. “When the alliance was announced, it was said that power and responsibilities will be shared equally. It is an extremely important part. Once the government is formed on October 24, then people will come to know. I’m confident about it,” he said.

Thackeray said he is also confident that the Sena, which is contesting its lowest seats in Maharashtra, will get it the highest number of members in the state Assembly after the October 21 elections. “Even though this is the lowest number of seats the Shiv Sena is contesting, it will also be the beginning of winning the maximum number of seats,” he said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On