Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said had his party not supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the government in Maharashtra after the 2014 elections, the latter would have managed to grab the power by breaking the Opposition combine of the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
“Had we not supported the government, the BJP, like it goes on winning States through all possible means...like it broke the Congress and the Trinamool Congress in Tripura, would have broken the Congress and the NCP to come to power in Maharashtra,” Mr. Thackeray said in an interview to the Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut. The interview was the second part in a three-part series for the party mouthpiece Saamana.
Questioning the progress of investigations into scams like the 2G scam, the irrigation scam, Mr. Thackeray said nothing happened after the change in government.
“When the scams came to light, the country’s image was tarnished, and it looked like as if there was no country as corrupt as India. The result was the change in government, but nothing happened. Even today, the BJP talks about 60 years of corruption, but nothing has been proved yet,” Mr. Thackeray said.
“It is improper to run away after slinging mud at others while holding a lotus in your hand,” he said, alleging that the voters were duped after the polls.
Asked what he has gained from being in power for four years in the State, Mr. Thackeray said the Sena ministers have got an experience of the administrative work. “This is in a way a rehearsal of running the government. What should be done, what should not be done. Also, how to implement schemes.”
The Sena chief said power will come in the hands of the Sena when people decide so. “I am sure people have experienced all other parties till now. But, they have not experienced the Sena being the only party in power. That is why I have got my people experience being in power.”
Asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is only concerned about Gujarat, the Sena leader said Mr. Modi’s attention is on foreign countries.