Nagpur:
In the midst of significant political realignments in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has provided clarity on the BJP’s relationships with the Thackeray family. During an interaction with senior journalist Vivek Ghalsasi in Nagpur, Fadnavis emphasized that while Uddhav Thackeray is no longer considered a friend, he is not viewed as an enemy either. Instead, Fadnavis highlighted that Raj Thackeray, Uddhav’s cousin and the leader of the Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS), has become a close ally.
The Thackerays, known for their Hindutva ideology, have historically been natural allies of the BJP. However, differences with Uddhav Thackeray led to a split in 2019, resulting in the BJP losing power and Uddhav forming a new alliance with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). This rift paved the way for Raj Thackeray to forge a closer relationship with the BJP.
Fadnavis mentioned that during the Winter Session of the Assembly, he met Uddhav Thackeray and assured him that he would not engage in revenge politics, receiving positive responses from all leaders involved.
The Chief Minister also discussed veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s recent praises for the BJP and the RSS. Fadnavis attributed Pawar’s change in stance to the realization that the RSS is a nationalist force rather than a regular political entity. “Sharad Pawar saheb, who is very intelligent, would have studied this and realised that this (RSS) is not a regular political power but a nationalist power. That is why he may have praised the RSS,” Fadnavis explained.
Regarding the possibility of Pawar’s faction reuniting with the original party, Fadnavis noted that anything can happen in politics, citing the example of Uddhav Thackeray’s shift and Ajit Pawar’s move to the BJP.
Before becoming Eknath Shinde’s deputy in 2022, Fadnavis revealed that he had been asked to focus on organizational work but was persuaded by senior leaders to join the government.
When questioned about who is stricter between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Fadnavis avoided a direct answer, describing Modi as a very disciplined politician and suggesting that Shah can be convinced occasionally.
Fadnavis also highlighted the swift agreement from ally Eknath Shinde when the proposal was made for the Chief Minister to be from the BJP following the party’s significant mandate in the Maharashtra elections.
