We ‘wasted’ 25 years in alliance, rues Uddhav 

Mumbai: Sharpening his attack on the BJP, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday rued his party wasted 25 years being in alliance with it while asserting that his outfit will come out of the government the moment it feels it is being disregarded.

The Sena chief, in the third and final part of his interview to the party mouthpiece Saamana, however, maintained that he would never blackmail or backstab the ally.

“In last June, we completed 50 years since our advent and half the time, which means 25 years, we were in alliance (with the BJP). Twenty five years is a long time and we grew up by holding hands of each other...but the way certain things unfolded, including breaking up of alliance in previous (assembly) elections...now I feel that we wasted all these 25 years being in alliance...and these years got rotten”, Thackeray said.

“In those days, the base of our alliance was Hindutva, but now we need to work out what is the base of this alliance right now”

However, the Sena chief said he was in touch with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and recently they had food together at ‘Matoshree’ - Uddhav’s residence in Bandra.

“In those days, the base of our alliance was Hindutva, but now we need to work out what is the base of this alliance right now. Rest, I am in touch with the Chief Minister, who is new, but I am closely monitoring his commitment and restless efforts, and I wish him to do well in future”, said Thackeray, who turns 56 tomorrow.

To a question why he and his party keeps on levelling allegations against the government despite being a part of it, he said, “This is why I lay stress on working on the fundamentals of our alliance and make them clear once again.”

“Shiv Sena has never slapped baseless and wild accusations and neither has it made personal comments. On why the present government was disregarding ally Sena”, the leader said there are elements trying to create an atmosphere of uncertainty.

“Yes, off course, there is uncertainty and those are frenemies... some are seen and some are disguised. It happens with everyone. But I am not like that. The moment I feel that me and my party are not getting proper treatment, I will not be in power. But I will never blackmail the government. I will speak out, but never backstab”, said Thackeray.

Why did the people of Bihar , Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala reject BJP?

Thackeray also took a sarcastic swipe on the BJP over its failure to make Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala Congress-Free in elections in those states. “Lalu Prasad Yadav has been barred from contesting the election, but his party emerged as the biggest party in Bihar. So is with Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu.

I am naming these two persons because they have come out of jail on corruption charges and even then the people of those states have chosen them and made them victorious with a heavy mandate”, he pointed out.

“These results are like a jolt to those who boast of their clean image. Why the people of Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala rejected you (apparently referring to BJP) and chose them. Because the people of these states did not pay attention to the tall promises, big addresses in rallies... they firmly decided that only these are our leaders”, Thackeray noted. PTI