In an exclusive interview with Sudhir Suryawanshi, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said he is confident that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will return to power and that the Congress will emerge as the single largest party in the forthcoming Assembly polls. Excerpts:
How was your experience in the seat-sharing talks for the elections with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP SP as Sena (UBT) tried to portray you as an obstacle within the MVA?
I do not care and worry about anyone’s opinion as long as I am doing justice to my party and my post. I was not asking for the seat for me and my relatives, but for the party cadre and aspirants who were working for the party. The Congress emerged as the single largest party in the Lok Sabha election by winning 13 seats plus one independent seat. Therefore, it was the right of the Congress to get as many seats as it would also help the alliance to come back to power with a thumping majority. We had left the ground open to the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Konkan and Mumbai metropolitan region because it was their ground and expected they would do the same with the Congress in Vidarbha, but it did not happen.
I am not fully happy with the present seat sharing because the Congress should have gotten a major share due to its Lok Sabha election strike rate and as a national party to accommodate people of all castes and creeds in ticket distribution. But nevertheless, the Maha Vikas Aghadi will surely come to power because the people of Maharashtra are fed up with the current corrupt incumbent government.
What are the issues you are raising during the election campaign?
Rural distress as farmers are getting below the MSP rate for their cotton, soybean and other products, while on the other hand, the input cost has gone up multifold. Inflation and unemployment, relocation of job-generating projects from Maharashtra to Gujarat and insult of national and state icons during this incumbent government will be highlighted during the campaign.
Besides, law and order is a major issue. The safety of women is a major issue in the state. The people of Maharashtra are fed up with the corruption, cost escalations and commissions in every work of this government. Like the Lok Sabha elections, people are eagerly waiting to cast their votes against this anti-Maharashtra government.
What about the Ladli Bahena scheme? The Mahayuti says this scheme is their trump card as it has given direct monetary benefits. Your view?
No, this scheme will not work at all as a trump card. The Congress has several such schemes in states run by it, so such welfare schemes are going to continue. Besides, other issues are taking centre stage, so you can imagine the fate of this government that solely depends on the success of one scheme only. The people of Maharashtra are smart and clear; they will also see the rising debt of the state, shrinking industry and investment.
What are the prospects of the Congress in the state polls after the party's defeat in Haryana?
Do not compare Maharashtra with Haryana; both are different states. In Maharashtra, I am confident that the Congress will win 80-85 seats in the polls. Most of the seats will be from Vidarbha, western Maharashtra and Marathwada. After Vilasrao Deshmukh, I will be the first Maharashtra Congress president who will campaign across the state to get more seats in the state polls. In the last 10-15 years, we had no such strong pan-Maharashtra leadership that filled the void.
Like the Lok Sabha election, the Congress's strike rates and seats in the state election will be the highest among all political parties in the state. In the Lok Sabha elections, people rejected Modi-Shah and now they will reject Modi-Shah’s puppet in the state as well. In the Lok Sabha elections, Nitin Gadkari saved his fort, but there is a huge difference between the conduct and nature of Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis. So, you should not be surprised if even deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis loses the elections because this time, we have strong local candidates against imported candidates.
Who will be the chief minister if the MVA comes back to power as you are one of the strong aspirants?
The CM post is not on our agenda now, and there is no formula like the party with the largest number of seats getting this post. The top leadership of all parties, including our high command, will decide over it.
Regarding my aspirations, I am a person who believes in work and effort, not in fruit. I will work without any expectation of the fruit for the party and state. As our former chief minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh famously used to say, we do not get anything before time and fate. I strongly believe in that philosophy.
