'BJP's last resort to win the election is to divide people into caste, religion, creed, but it doesn't happen in Maharashtra.'
Two-and-a-half years after the Shiv Sena split into two, with one faction joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party to form the government in Maharashtra, the other group led by Uddhav Thackeray faces its biggest challenge to reclaim its legacy and status as the party of founder Balasaheb Thackeray.
And leading the charge is the latter's grandson, Aaditya Thackeray, who is the party nominee seeking re-election from Worli in south central Mumbai.
Ranged against Thackeray Jr is Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's Sandeep Deshpande.
During a brisk round of campaigning in Worli, Rediff.com's Hemant Waje caught up with the Thackeray scion.
Watch the full interview at the end.
Why do you think Worlikars should re-elect you?
I think what is very important is that the state is going to elect a Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi sarkar. Worli has seen my work in the past five years. I have served Worli. I am sure they will elect me.
The BJP has going to town in Maharashtra with its slogans 'batenge toh katenge' and 'ek hai toh safe hai'. What is your view on them?
The BJP's last resort to win the election is to divide people into caste, religion, creed, but it doesn't happen in Maharashtra.
Do you think the Laadki Bahin scheme will have any impact on the election outcome?
We are offering double of it. Plus, the women know that the BJP is looting Maharashtra. They will not vote for looters.
Don't you think these kinds of freebie schemes will strain Maharashtra's fiscal resource?
No.
After looting Maharashtra, why do you think anybody will vote for the BJP?
Uddhav Thackeray, your father, has said that he will not campaign in Mahim where his cousin Raj Thackeray's son Amit is in the fray. Is there any tacit agreement with Raj's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena?
I will be campaigning in Mahim. I will hold a rally in Mahim.
When you contested in Worli for the first time, Raj Thackeray didn't put up a candidate against you. Why didn't you do something similar in return for your cousin Amit?
We have shown our courtesy by not criticising them personally ever in the last 20 years, the way they criticise us and the way they speak about us. We will never do that.
Eknath Shinde rebelled against your government by saying that the Shiv Sena has abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy.
Eknath Shinde is a coward who ran away only and only because he was going to get arrested by the ED. Maharashtra has seen how Eknath Shinde has been the most incompetent CM of all time in Maharashtra.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW BELOW!
Prime Minister Narendra Modi always targets dynastic politics in his speeches.
Look at the BJP's list of dynasty in politics and then ask the BJP to speak on us.
How many seats will the MVA win in Maharashtra?
Maximum.
But how many seats, what is the number?
Maximum.
