New Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde says that he and his ‘rebel comrades’ are not traitors of the Shiv Sena. They are rather revolutionaries who have shaken the politics of the state for taking it in the right direction, he tells Sudhir Suryavanshi in a candid interview.
You were once trusted and very close aide of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. Why did you still revolt against him?
We have been in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) since the last 2.5 years but as a party, we were not gaining anything on the ground. On the other hand, NCP ministers were working hard and expanding their party.
And they were also claiming that the NCP will get the highest number of seats in the next state assembly elections in 2024. On the other hand, there was no planning in our party. The elected Shiv Sena MLAs were getting restless.
The majority of them was against NCP’s Ajit Pawar, the Finance Minister, who was vigorously backing NCP’s defeated candidates so that their tally will go up in the next election, making them the claimant of CM post. Most of NCP their leaders were vocal about the next Maharashtra CM being from the NCP.
It forced us to find out some ways to survive in politics. I personally met our leadership five times but it was in vain.
As a leader who has seen Shiv Sena since childhood, I was worried to save the party. Forty of us took the conscious decision to tie up with our natural ally — BJP.
Our leadership also needs to think why 40 MLAs out of 55 left them and joined ands with the BJP to form the government.
There were allegations that due to the pressure of the central agencies, you and other rebellious Shiv Sena MLAs left the Shiv Sena and joined hands with BJP, what is the truth in it?
I started social work at the age of 18 and never earned money. I have faced police cases… was in jail for 40 days when we protested to include Belgaum in Maharashtra. I personally forced 16 dance bars to close down in Thane. I was never afraid of anything in my life.
Therefore, there is no truth in allegations that due to the pressure of central agencies, we joined hands with BJP and formed the government in Maharashtra. I wish to say that my only asset is people and their love. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I was admitted to the hospital.
There are only a couple of MLAs who are under the lens of central agencies.
The rest of them come from the heartland, they have nothing to do with the ED or any other central probe.
These legislators had genuine issues with the Sena leadership that we cannot ignore. It is not easy to take such a step (rebellion against own party leadership).
What was the bone of contention between you and party leadership that compelled you to revolt?
I had no grievances against anyone. I never joined politics to get any post but to help and serve the people. I work round the clock. In 2014 to 2019, BJP and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were ready to give the Deputy Chief Minister post, but our leadership did not take it because it would be given to me.
When the three-party government was formed at that time, as the largest party in MVA, I was one of the claimants for the CM chair, but our party president told us that the Congress and NCP want him as the CM of Maharashtra.
I was given Urban Development Ministry and several people used to interfere. I did not complain about it. During the Rajya Sabha elections, we were blamed for the loss of our second candidate Sanjay Pawar while at the state legislative council, I was not involved and not even consulted by the party.
Besides, our fellow Shiv Sena MLAs were given the stepmotherly treatment by our partners in the government. Therefore, we all decided to do something for the party in its larger interest.
How much do you blame Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut for this current political crisis within the Sena?
We never spoke any word against anyone. We always maintained dignity against everyone. But some of the Sena leaders were calling us donkey, pan shopwala, autowala, etc, and they even insulted the women MLAs who came along with us. Balasaheb Thackeray never tolerated any word against women.
If he had been there, he would have taught the lesson. One hand, the party leadership was telling them to come and talk with them, but on the other hand, some of the leaders were ridiculing us, asking people to attack houses, tear our posters and banners.
They were instigating violence against us. But they forgot that we have spent more than 40 years for the Shiv Sena.