File Photo : Ashish Jaiswal
Nagpur: Terming the bogie of separate Vidarbha demand and construction of Ram temple just poll slogans, the newly appointed spokesman of Shiv Sena Adv Ashish Jaiswal on Friday warned BJP that it will lose power if the party went ahead with carving out a separate state. “The ‘Marathi Manoos’ will not pardon the BJP for breaking the Sanyukta (United) Maharashtra into two pieces. Moreover, the party will be thrown out of power for its folly,” Jaiswal thundered.
Jaiswal was interacting with media persons here for the first time after becoming spokesman of Shiv Sena.
According to Jaiswal, the bitterness between BJP and Shiv Sena is growing day-by-day. The voters’ wish is compelling the two parties to stay together despite rhetoric. “Shiv Sena is disappointed with the attitude of BJP as far as affairs in NMC is concerned. The upcoming polls should have been fought in alliance. It is need of the hour. However, the future course of action will be decided at right time. Even Uddhav Thackeray cannot make ‘Bhavishyawani’ about the next move,” Jaiswal said.
“It is condemnable that even after talks with Nitin Gadkari the Shiv Sena Corporator was deprived of Deputy Mayor’s post. The Shiv Sena’s affairs are being run by Anil Parab. I am far away from the city politics. If a responsibility is bestowed upon me, I will not run away from it. The strength of party’s corporators could be increased to 20-25 in the next election only if party headquarters leaves no stone unturned,” Jaiswal stated.
According to the newly appointed spokesman, the voters in Ramtek Assembly constituency have neither accepted an outsider in the past nor will accept in future. “My defeat in the last Assembly poll was just a technical defeat. At the last moment, a tie-up was made by Congress, Gondwana Party and BJP. Break-up of alliance at the face of Assembly poll was pre-planned by BJP. The main reason for BJP going alone was party’s success in Lok Sabha election. BJP was hoping for a majority on its own but it did not happen,” Jaiswal said.
“If separate Vidarbha is carved out, Shiv Sena will benefit the most. People know the party is in favour of United Maharashtra. Our party believes in interest of people rather than interest of party,” Jaiswal said. Denying he ever planned to join BJP, Jaiswal said that he could have left the party along with Sanjay Nirupam and Narayan Rane. Even NCP had promised to make him a minister. The Chief Minister, Guardian Minister and the Union Minister are alloting more funds to his constituency despite he losing the election. Gadkari is helping to start sea plane between Koradi-Khindsi-Navegaon. The best Guardian Minister in the State is Chandrashekhar Bawankule and the most hardworking MLA is Sameer Meghe, Jaiswal asserted.
Concluding his interaction with media persons, Jaiswal said that the State and Central Government should focus more on rural areas. The condition in rural areas is still miserable. A flyover (Mumbai’s Sea Link) whose cost is crores can develop 1000 villages. Load-shedding in city is limited to one hour and it is 8-10 hours in villages. The situation must change, Jaiswal said.
– By Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha
