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| Edited By: Kanchan Srivastava |Source: DNA |Updated: Nov 05, 2014, 05:40 AM IST
Q: You were asked to contest from Sena bastion Goregaon at the eleventh hour and that too against a leader like Subhash Desai. How difficult was the seat?
A: The Sena-BJP alliance broke on September 22 and I was asked to contest from the constituency on September 26, a day before the last day of filing nomination. The assignment was challenging and I wasn't sure about the outcome. I had got only 10-12 days to reach out to people but I still sailed through. Credit goes to PM Narendra Modi and my party. Moreover, people from across the city and even outside still remember my work as the chairman of the MCGM's public health committee, which I served twice. Also, people knew me for I had sought votes for Desai in the previous assembly elections.
Q: People say you have been inducted in the ministry because you are the north Indian face of the party.
A: I think the CM has chosen me for this job because of my public service and dedication towards the party. It's true that my roots are in Benipur Kundariya village of Varanasi but my grandfather shifted to Mumbai early in the last century. Similarly, my husband and former MLA Jaiprakash Thakur's great-grandparents had come to Mumbai even before that. By all accounts, I am more of a Mumbaikar than most of Maharashtrians who migrated to Mumbai for livelihood in the past 50 years.
Q: Do you think voters rejected identity politics this election?
A: Yes. People have shown door to all those parties who have been politicising the issue all these years and have been reaping the benefits. See where MNS is now.
Q: You are educated till class 8 and perhaps you are the least-educated MLA in the party. Do you think this would be a hurdle or point of ridicule just as in the case of Union HRD minister Smriti Irani?
A: The most successful chief minister of Maharashtra was Vasant Dada Patil and he was an angootha-chhap. Skills matter, not degrees. At the end of the day, people would judge a politician for his work and commitment. I had represented ward 45 from 1992 to 2012. I couldn't contest in 2012 as the ward was reserved for backward class. But my social service continued and now people have elected me for a bigger role, and this says it all. Nevertheless, I will prove myself as a minister too. Just give me some time to understand things.
Q: There is a perception that Narendra Modi holds the remote control of the Fadnavis government. Are you feeling extra pressure to perform?
A: We haven't received any direction from the PM till now. But yes, he would definitely keep a watch on our work. This would help us to give our best. Modiji has tremendous influence among the youth who constitute 65% of the population and they have lots of expectations from him. If Modiji keeps a tab, our work towards development of the state would be more streamlined.
