‘There Can Be No Compromise OnThe Post Of CM’

It is time for hectic political activity at Varsha, the official residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, 50. A day after the election schedule was announced for the state, Chavan's office is inundated with visitors, mostly MLAs. The CM looks tired and is not too keen to be photographed, saying he is exhausted. Often attacked by his detractors for being an accidental appointee seven months ago, the CM answers a wide range of questions put to him by RANA AYYUB.

The dates for the assembly elections have been announced and there is still no clarity over a Congress-NCP tie-up in the forthcoming elections.
We have made our own assessment of the political situation here and have briefed the Congress High Command.

Digvijay Singh’s statements that the NCP should merge with the Congress have ruffled many feathers. It is clear he said so to pressurise the NCP before elections. While Vilasrao Deshmukh and other senior leaders in the Congress have spoken of going it alone in the polls, you have always said that both parties should fight unitedly. Do you still think so?
I have already spoken about this issue and have said that at some places we are strong and at others, weak. The political scenario differs from place to place. Both have to think of what is favourable for them. As far as the merger goes, the NCPwas part of the Congress and broke away only on the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin. Today, Sharad Pawar is a cabinet minister in the UPA government and Mrs Gandhi is the chairman of the UPA. Since he has already accepted her leadership, where’s the issue? In this situation, if the NCP merges with the Congress, it will be welcome.

Your party is seeing internal dissidence. Vilasrao Deshmukh and Narayan Rane — both contenders for the CM’s post have been lobbying against you.
There is no question of internal dissidence in my party. Minor issues can’t be called dissidence. There were certain differences within the state Congress which have been resolved. As far as Vilasrao and Rane are concerned, I am not aware of any lobby. I only work for the party and don’t take part in petty politics.

There have been talks of a third front in the state and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has already sent emissaries to the RPI and various other dalit parties in the state. Is a third front a feasible option and is the Congress also looking at creating a third front?
Yes, I have also heard about the formation of a third front. I don’t know the basis for such a move. The idea is to have a stable and secular government. By forming the third front, parties like the RPI, which have been keen on a secular government, will only be helping communal forces. It’s not in their interest to form a third front but it’s their decision. I don’t know if the NCP is actively party to such plans and I can’t make any official comment.

In the last elections, although the NCP got more seats than the Congress, the Congress retained the CM’s post. Will the Congress insist on the CM’s post this time too?
There can be no compromise on the post of CM, which will remain with the Congress, no matter what. There is no rethinking this issue.

You were made CM just after the 26/11 attacks, when the Congress had few options. You were called a compromise CM, a non-charismatic leader. Do you think you’ve been able to leave those tags behind with your performance?
I have heard of these names but I can’t rate my own performance – it’s for the people to decide what kind of CM I have been. I have worked with integrity and honesty. I wouldn’t want to pat my own back and say that I have been an efficient minister. I have had just a few months to work but I have done all I can.

Do you credit yourself for what the Congress has achieved in the state?
Most certainly. I am in charge of the party. I am the CEO of the state. Whatever has happened in the state has been under my guidance. I am the head of the state. We have given good infrastructure to Mumbai. We have brought about economic stability. What’s more, industrial investments have come in and farmers’ debts waived.

Your alliance is facing a severe incumbency backlash. The prices of essential commodities have risen and the drought has disenchanted rural voters. Uddhav Thackeray has been touring the rural areas and is likely to give a tough fight to the Congress. Droughts are not new in our state. Every two or three years we face the problem of water scarcity and we are doing our bit. The price rise is an issue not just in Maharashtra, but also in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, states controlled by the BJP. But we still subsidise the prices of essential commodities and have taken crucial decisions on this count. The government has spent about Rs 150 crores in subsidies. Your government has announced sops of about Rs 70,000 crores in the last three months alone. Is this not just to lure the voters? Where will you get the funds from? I have had just a few months to perform and therefore I will give out sops. How the funds will come is a matter of financial management. The common man is struggling to make ends meet and yet you say you will make every citizen a lakhpati. Such unrealistic promises come only during elections. Certainly not! I want to raise the per capita income in the state to Rs 1 lakh. It will be a gradual process. The state’s per capita income is now around Rs 40,000. We want to up the standard of living for every citizen in Mumbai. Whats wrong with that? Sharad Pawar got psephologists to do an internal survey in Maharashtra according to which the Shiv Sena-BJP will be neck-and-neck with the ruling combine. What is your estimate? It is basically a fight with the Shiv Sena which we think will be our only opposition. We are not even talking of the BJP. You know the top leadership of the BJP is already in a big mess. Their rank and file are confused. What does it propose for the state? What issues will it fight on? And are you planning to make it an election issue? We don’t even have to do that. The people are watching what’s happening to the BJP. We don’t have to do anything. 26/11 also looks to be a key election issue for the opposition. Is the government trying to shield ministers and the police by not tabling the Pradhan Committee report? There is nothing for us to hide on any front. Whatever needed to be made public about the 26/11 attacks and the Pradhan Committee report has been made public. It’s a matter concerning national security – not everything can be revealed. The matter is sub judice as well And why should we shield anyone? There is no need. The action to be taken report was tabled and the required work was done. We cannot compromise national security in this sensitive case. The MNS played spoilsport during the Lok Sabha elections. Are you counting on the MNS to play spoilsport again and divide Marathi votes in the urban areas during the assembly polls as well? I have never counted on the MNS to do anything for us and will never do so in the future. This is an internal issue for the Shiv Sena, a fight between two brothers. It is for the brothers to decide what they want to do, if they want to fight against each other and divide each others’ votes. But you have encouraged the MNS to spread anti-north Indian sentiments in the state? No I don’t think we have ever encouraged the MNS. We have taken action against them whenever needed. Parochialism cannot exist and sustain itself. The Congress has been talking of the Rahul Gandhi effect in Uttar Pradesh and the fact that it fought alone, after keeping the SP on tenterhooks for so long. Do you think the Congress wave will work in Maharashtra too? We have never kept anybody on tenterhooks but have always ensured that we get a fair deal, which is our right. We cannot sit around like losers. In coalition politics, everybody has a right to strengthen their base. We will ensure that through elections our party becomes stronger. Rahul Gandhi has emerged as a charismatic youth leader who has infused life into the Congress. We expect the same winning pattern in Maharashtra too. You say that you’ve been a successful chief minister. Does that mean that you see yourself as a possible contender for the CM’s post? I’ve never been a contender for anything. I’ve always left everything to the party High Command, which takes decisions on the basis of work done. But wouldn’t you aspire to be the CM? It’s not about my aspirations or my wishes. It’s about the wish of the High Command. I’ve performed my job with total integrity and honesty. That is all that matters. The Naxal issue has become a major problem in Maharashtra. At least 100 policemen have lost their lives. Tribals have been caught in the crossfire. Packages worth thousands of crores have been allotted in the name of welfare, but little seems to have changed. Yes, Naxalism has assumed dangerous proportions and is a growing concern, but we are doing as much as we can. And it’s not just an issue for Maharashtra. Neighbouring states like Chattisgarh and Jharkhand are also dealing with it. The home department is putting in place counter-measures for Naxalism. As far as welfare packages are concerned, to my knowledge most of them have been used for the welfare of districts affected by Naxal attacks and towards bringing Naxals into the mainstream. You spoke about the Rahul Gandhi effect and about inducting youth into the party. Does that mean young candidates will now get tickets? We’ll certainly ensure that fresh faces are brought in, but not at the cost of senior, experienced candidates. ‘The Marathi manoos is not an issue with anyone anymore. I do not think that even the Shiv Sena would want to use it now’ Not all seems to be working well between you and the NCP. Chhagan Bhujbal, the deputy CM, has been openly taking digs at you There are no differences with the NCP. Yes, there are differences of opinion on various issues but they are apparent only because we wanted to ensure transparency. It was said that the differences arose because I did not give a go ahead to mega projects. My answer is that I wanted to bring about transparency and I thought such decisions could be taken after the elections. There have been talks of a compromise formula through which the Congress and the NCP would rule for two-and-a-half years each. Is that a possibility? I have heard of this formula but it hasn’t been discussed. It cannot work and it seems like a figment of somebody’s imagination. It’s certainly not something we will be looking at. Do you think the Marathi manoos issue, which has dominated the state for the last three years, will still be a key election issue? The Marathi manoos is not an issue with anyone, anymore. I don’t think even the Shiv Sena would want to use it now, as the Maharashtrian voter has seen through the mockery of the entire concept of the Marathi manoos that the Shiv sena started, which was then followed by the MNS. Such dirty politics cannot survive. We will prove it.

From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 36, Dated September 12, 2009