BJP, too, is misusing power: Sanjay Raut

Sanjay Raut, executive editor, Saamna

dna: The Shiv Sena is no longer in alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra, so when will Anant Gite quit his ministerial post in the Narendra Modi Cabinet?

Sanjay Raut: That decision will be taken by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. Our alliance with the BJP in the state has broken, but we will remain one of the important allies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). At the start of the NDA, 33 regional parties were in the alliance. At the time, none of the current BJP leaders had any say in the affairs of the party or the NDA. We are the oldest ally in the NDA. We want to review this.

dna: What was the point in breaking the alliance with the BJP if you are going to continue in the NDA where the BJP is the main constituent?
SR: Today the BJP has a majority in parliament and isn't in desperate need of support from its allies, so they are behaving differently. The current political scenario will not remain the same forever. Even an old party like the Congress could not hold on to power. There are many small parties who want to come together against this arrogance and step-motherly treatment by the national parties.

dna: Initially, Raju Shetty, Mahadeo Jankar, Vinayak Mete and Ramdas Athawale were with the Shiv Sena (SS). What happened that they left the SS and joined the BJP at the eleventh hour?
SR: The Congress is not the only party that has misused power. Now the BJP is doing the same. Both national parties are seeking to grow at the cost of regional parties. But as long as the blessings of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and late Balasaheb Thackeray are with us, no one will be able to stop SS in Maharashtra. The BJP may have made some tempting offers to these smaller parties and its greedy leaders, so they left us midway and joined the BJP.

dna: The SS has launched a tirade against the Gujarati community on social media. Are you targeting Gujaratis to polarize Marathi voters against the BJP?
SR: We are not against the Gujarati community. In fact, many Gujaratis are unhappy with the BJP for its decision to break away from SS. Gujarat is our neighbour, they are our brothers. During the 1993 riots, the SS came out on the streets to protect all Hindus, including Gujaratis. SS will only fight against anti-social elements. We want a ban on the misuse of social media as there have been cases where it has been used for below the belt attacks.

dna: BJP is using only Modi's face in its election campaign. Do they lack a credible face in Maharashtra?
SR: The BJP is reluctant to put the picture of any state leader on its poster as it has no credible candidate in Maharashtra. They are hoping to ride the Modi wave which is no longer there and this is evident from the recent by-poll results. In Maharashtra there is a wave of support for the SS and our president Uddhav Thackeray. We will get the maximum seats in the assembly poll and form the government. Our party workers want Uddhavji to be the chief minister.

dna: The BJP seems to have hijacked the SS campaign by putting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on its election posters...
SR: SS is the only party that has celebrated Shiv Jayanti continuously for decades. Have you seen the BJP and its leaders celebrating Shiv Jayanti? They have developed a love for Shivaji suddenly because they cannot depend on any of their leaders to get votes in the state.

dna: Is there any possibility that Uddhav and Raj will come together?
SR: Sena is contesting 286 seats while the MNS is contesting a large number of seats too. Our target is now 'Mission 200'. Uddhavji did call Raj to enquire about his health. Some times we must look beyond politics.

dna: People say that you are close to NCP president Sharad Pawar and that you were instrumental in breaking the alliance with the BJP?
SR: It is true that I have contact with Sharad Pawar. What is wrong in keeping contact with someone? I've been in touch with him only through the late Balasaheb Thackeray. Both had a good relationship even though they have different political viewpoints. I was also involved in meetings with BJP leaders and put in a lot of effort, but they had decided not to continue with the alliance. So, there is no point in alleging that I was instrumental in breaking the alliance.