Devendra Fadnavis subtly hints at BJP-Shiv Sena tie-up for 2019 polls
Former CM Devendra Fadnavis
When Raut asked him why Bal Thackeray's 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 seats.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sounded a conciliatory note for its ally Shiv Sena when he hinted that BJP will jointly contest 2019 Lok Sabha elections with Uddhav Thackeray's party.
Fadnavis was speaking at an event in Mumbai on Tuesday where Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut interviewed him.
"The Shiv Sena may be a party led by Uddhav Thackeray, but it is run on 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," Fadnavis said. "This was Balasaheb's thinking as well," he added.
When Raut asked him why Bal Thackeray's 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," Fadnavis retorted.
Raut also asked Fadnavis how he knew the Sena's future plans when he could not even predict the next move of the RSS.
"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.
He denied that Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP chief Amit Shah hold the "remote control" of the Maharashtra government.
Fadnavis also refuted allegations 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," the Maharashtra Chief Minister said.
Fadnavis 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.