With less than a month left to complete two years as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde is busy campaigning.
He was responding to the opposition’s allegations that the Maratha reservation issue and the BJP’s intention to change the constitution if it comes back to power, with 11 constituencies going to polls in Maharashtra in the fourth phase.
Initially, you were targeting more than 45 places from Maharashtra. Now, the figure is said to have been revised below 35?
I am sure we will get more seats than last time. That’s because we’ve done our job well over the past two years. Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) People have observed the work of 10 years and the work of our government in the last two years.
Is BJP trying to change the constitution?
It’s a matter of perception. When they (the opposition) realized that they were losing the election, they started campaigning to change the constitution. Babasaheb was defeated in the election by Congress, he was against Congress and said it was a house on fire, don’t go near it. No one can change the constitution.
What do you think about the Maratha reservation issue and people’s anger towards BJP?
I don’t think there is any need to be angry with BJP or Devendra Fadnavis when he was Chief Minister last time. I was part of the team that advocated in the High Court for the first time to grant reservation to Marathas. After the change of regime, he could not stand in the Supreme Court. So, it is Maha Vikas Agathi’s fault. When our government came we gave 10% reservation. People take advantage of it.
Did Uddhav Thackeray promise you Chief Ministership?
He didn’t want to be the chief minister, so I had to be. He went on to say that Shiv Sainik will be made Chief Minister. Instead he himself became the Chief Minister. Then he began to prepare the ground for his son. They planned to jail BJP leaders and break up BJP MLAs.
Farmers seem to have struggled; The cost of fertilizers and other inputs has gone up. Don’t you get good price for onion and milk?
The central government recently lifted the export ban on onions. Even the ethanol problem has been solved. Regarding water, during Fadnavis ji’s tenure, we were working on Marathwada Water Grid. The previous government stopped it. While the central government provides Rs 6,000 per year to the farmers, we also add Rs 6,000 and provide Rs 12,000 per year. We also provide crop insurance for Rs 1, the premium is paid by the government. We have spent Rs 35,000 crore on farmers in the last 18-24 months.
