Amid the Pawar VS Pawar battle people have forgotten another old political battle which is the Shiv Sena Vs Shiv Sena Vs battle. In June the SC Issued notice to assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar after the Uddhav faction accused the speaker of deliberately delaying the decision of the disqualification of the rebel MLAs.
Besides, The SC also said it would hear the Shiv Sena name and symbol case after it wraps up with the plea challenging the abrogation of Article 370. If the decision of the speaker goes against the CM and if the SC reverses ECI's decision then what is going to be the future of CM Eknath Shinde?
To discuss this we spoke to senior journalist and political analyst SANJAY jOG WHO HAS BEEN COVERING Maharashtra politics for the last 3 decades.
#Maharashtra #ShivSena #EknathShinde #MaharashtraNews #MaharashtraPolitics #MVA #BJP #UBT #UddhavThackeray #HWNews
Besides, The SC also said it would hear the Shiv Sena name and symbol case after it wraps up with the plea challenging the abrogation of Article 370. If the decision of the speaker goes against the CM and if the SC reverses ECI's decision then what is going to be the future of CM Eknath Shinde?
To discuss this we spoke to senior journalist and political analyst SANJAY jOG WHO HAS BEEN COVERING Maharashtra politics for the last 3 decades.
#Maharashtra #ShivSena #EknathShinde #MaharashtraNews #MaharashtraPolitics #MVA #BJP #UBT #UddhavThackeray #HWNews
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00:00 Amid the power vs power battle, people have forgotten another old political battle, which
00:06 is the Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena battle. In June, the Supreme Court issued notice to Assembly
00:13 Speaker Rahul Narvekar after the Uddhav faction accused the Speaker of deliberately delaying
00:20 the decision of the disqualification of the rebel MLAs. Besides, the Supreme Court also
00:27 said it would hear the Shiv Sena name and symbol case after it wraps up with the plea
00:34 challenging the abrogation of Article 370. If the decision of the Speaker goes against
00:40 the CM and if the SC reverses EC's decision, then what is going to be the future of CM
00:50 Eknath Shinde? To discuss this, we spoke to senior journalist
00:55 and political analyst Sanjay Jog, who has been covering Maharashtra politics for the
01:00 last three decades now. Let's get into the interview. But before that, if you're watching
01:05 this on Facebook, do like our page and if you're watching this on YouTube, do subscribe
01:11 to HW News English.
01:13 Thank you very much Sanjay sir for joining us.
01:23 Thank you.
01:25 Sir, what do you think will be the future of CM Eknath Shinde if the decision of the
01:33 16 MLAs goes against him and if they are disqualified? Because CM Eknath Shinde is one of those MLAs.
01:41 Yes, Sushant, before arriving at any kind of a conclusion, let me give you a little
01:47 background on which this case is developing. Just yesterday, we spoke to the Speaker, a
01:54 couple of journalists were there at the Vidhan Bhavan. Although the session is not on, but
01:59 he keeps on coming to his office. So, we took an opportunity to meet him and the obvious
02:03 question was, when is he going to take up the disqualification proceedings, which both
02:11 the sides, means Uddhav Bala Sahib Thackeray Shiv Sena as well as Eknath Shinde Narey Shiv
02:16 Sena are interested to see that, I mean, he decides or what is known as he adjudicates
02:24 the matter. So, when we asked, he said, first of all, all the necessary political, legal,
02:32 technical issues are being discussed internally, means within the Secretariat. He is also consulting
02:39 the lawyers which are affiliated to the Secretariat. So, he has yet to arrive at a scenario wherein
02:46 he can actually kick start the proceedings. So, A, the A part is that even though Shiv
02:52 Sena, Uddhav Bala Sahib Thackeray has already appealed to Supreme Court pleading that even
02:59 though you have given an order asking Speaker to take the necessary call in a reasonable
03:07 time, quote unquote. So, for that, Speaker has already clarified reasonable time means
03:15 no specific time has been mentioned, but considering the necessary formalities to be completed
03:22 from that perspective, it is going to be a reasonable time. And the second very interesting
03:28 sentence he said that my all attempt will be not to have any injustice on any party.
03:36 So, now here start your question about what is the fate of Mr. Ekana Chinde. I am also
03:43 aware that readers and viewers must be aware that Ekana Chinde is one of the 16 MLAs who
03:50 have been served the disqualification basically by the Uddhav Bala Sahib Thackeray faction.
03:57 What's now happening? What are the probabilities? Just to tell you the readers and viewers,
04:01 I have also covered similar proceedings when Mr. Arun Gujarati was the Speaker of the Assembly,
04:09 when some of the Congress MLAs had voted against the no confidence motion, in favour in fact,
04:19 you know, it was regarding the Vilas Rao Deshmukh Leh Government, when some of the MLAs sided
04:24 with the opposition and cast their vote in their support, means in support of no confidence.
04:30 So that led to a disqualification. It took very interesting time, you know, just to tell
04:34 you the reader and the viewer, it is not just a matter if the Speaker is being told to take
04:40 a call, he will immediately sit in his office and sign the matter. It's not so. It's like
04:46 a judicial process, means if at all you are an affected party, both the affected parties
04:53 are supposed to submit their affidavit, there will be counter affidavit, there will be hearing,
04:58 there will be postponement of hearing, it is going to be a long drawn process. So, I
05:03 can't and nobody is known what is going to be the fate of Sushil, I mean, Eknath Shinde,
05:09 but what could be the probabilities that we will discuss as a journalist. If at all Mr.
05:14 Speaker decides that whatever Shinde and 15 others have done is a breach of stipulated
05:22 Assembly rules, procedures, 10 schedule and what not other whatever the legal and judicial
05:28 that he will consider and constitutional matters, then A, he may be disqualified along with
05:34 the 15, then the entire government, whether the Sarabha will be at the stake, I don't
05:39 think so because they have got a sufficient number with Ajit Pawar joining them. Secondly,
05:45 if Speaker considering all the judicial, technical, legislative matters, rules that they are not
05:53 to be disqualified, in fact, Uddhav Mala Saheb Thackeray's disqualification been rejected,
05:58 stands rejected, then Mr. Shinde will continue. So, just to tell you interestingly, yesterday
06:04 and day before yesterday in some different function, Shinde hit the call very nicely
06:11 in the sense saying that he was in fact, went into a satire mode. He said, I have been reading,
06:18 I have been watching the news about whether Eknath Shinde will be removed as the Chief
06:24 Minister, whether he faces the disqualification. He said, first of all, I'm enjoying this news.
06:29 Secondly, he is in the firm saddle, that's what the word he used. And thirdly, he said,
06:34 he is fully prepared to take whatever happens in his side or against. So, Shashank, to put
06:42 you this thing in the right perspective, A, right now the proceedings have yet to begin,
06:47 Shinde is still studying along with his secretariat and his legal team, how to proceed. Secondly,
06:54 both the parties, means Uddhav Mala Saheb Thackeray's faction as well as Eknath Shinde
06:59 and his team Sena are in the midst of preparing the necessary legal papers and legal ground.
07:04 And third, very interestingly, putting it all together, what is going to be happening
07:10 is whether Speaker will be compelled or forced or under pressure to convene this hearing
07:19 immediately or whether the delay is being caused is again, he will be targeted. That
07:25 is a matter of, we press and media to discuss about, but that is not yet the stage. Shinde
07:31 Sena, Uddhav Mala Saheb Thackeray has taken serious objections about, quote unquote, alleged
07:37 delays in taking up the matter. But as you are saying, there is another petition, I mean,
07:42 the Supreme Court, where the counter-petition has been filed by Uddhav Mala Saheb Thackeray
07:48 because of all those 370 abrogation case and couple of other matters are on. So, the Supreme
07:53 Court is going to hear the matter in few days. So, what is happening at the level of Supreme
07:58 Court, that is to be also watched. One more thing that I should mention here is that,
08:03 you know, after speaking to couple of retired, what we can, the secretaries and those who
08:09 had worked in the legislature and aware of all the necessary stipulated rules and norms
08:15 to whom I have been talking to informally, what they are saying is that, interestingly,
08:21 when this matter was discussed earlier, when the Supreme Court gave the judgment that way
08:27 in favour of the Sindhiyalite faction and that way the government has survived. But
08:33 very interestingly, you know, they have said the election commission that matter about
08:39 awarding this symbol and the actual name, they said that is a matter that has already
08:46 been decided. So, Shashank, I don't think to after talking to couple of legal experts
08:52 and those, as I told you, retired, you know, the officials from the legislative secretary,
08:57 I don't think the Supreme Court will again take up the matter with regard to the symbol
09:03 and the party name. I think but still, if at all it will be discussed and debated or
09:10 fought at the level of the Supreme Court, that everybody has to give a look. As of now,
09:16 at least we are not aware whether this issue will be coming up in the ensuing hearing that
09:24 is pertaining to why Speaker is delaying the disqualification proceedings. I think till
09:29 that we have to wait and wait and till that, of course, you know, we have to keep on keeping
09:34 an eye about how these both factions are going to be preparing for the ensuing legal battle.
09:42 Sanjay sir, so what you are saying here is that the Supreme Court cannot ensure that
09:50 the Speaker fast tracks his decision or he makes his decision faster. So, nothing of
09:56 that sort can happen.
09:57 Shashank, you know, that's what I'm saying. This is a matter of legal and judicial proceedings
10:04 where I think it will be quite unfair to talk about us. But after, you know, putting in
10:08 so many years of, you know, writing on the political thing, generally, you know, as you
10:15 know, the three major executive judicial and legislature, three wings of the democracy
10:21 are concerned. Generally, you know, I don't think judiciary will definitely come into
10:27 this way and asking the Speaker because there are a couple of other instances earlier also
10:33 where this kind of a tug of war between two branches of the democracy are on. In the recent
10:39 case also, there was, I mean, when, you know, interestingly, when this previous government
10:43 has disqualified or suspended 12 BJP legislators in matter went to the court and initially
10:50 they had decided if at all Supreme Court favours in the, gives the order in their favour, we
10:55 should not accept it. But ultimately, it did not happen. You know, what we can say, unfortunate
11:01 a fight or a tussle between judiciary and legislature was that way avoided. So, Shashank,
11:07 I think it won't be fair to make any kind of a comment on what the Supreme Court will
11:13 take a call on this kind of a matter at this point in time.
11:18 So it is safe to say that this decision can go up to the next Maharashtra Assembly elections
11:23 or Lok Sabha elections, at least in the Lok Sabha elections?
11:27 Shashank, that is the discussion which is going on in the political circle of Maharashtra.
11:33 Each party, even though, you know, the Sharath Pawar Red Party has, you know, been divided,
11:39 although they claim that it's not divided. You know, we have, I mean, Ajit Pawar always
11:43 claimed that I have taken a decision to just join the government basically in the larger
11:48 interest of the development of their own constituencies as well as for the state. That party, I mean,
11:53 two factions of NCP or two factions of Chief JNR or even BJP and Congress, I mean, everybody
11:59 at the back of mind are discussing that reasonable time is when and whether the decision is expected
12:06 before the Lok Sabha Assembly elections or whether it will cut into that legal and judicial
12:11 proceedings that everybody has to guess. I mean, at this point in time, nobody can make
12:17 any concrete and confirm kind of a statement. This judgment will come before that. I think
12:22 we'll have to definitely wait and watch on that.
12:26 So you spoke about Ajit Pawar. So that reminds me of another question that I want to ask
12:32 you. Leader of opposition and Congress leader Vijay Vatutipayakar has said that, first he
12:39 made a comment that soon there will be a day when Ajit Pawar has been asked by PM Modi
12:49 that he has to bring in Sharad Pawar to the NDA fold and then he will get the chief minister
12:55 share. So soon it will, there will be a day when that would happen because he has said
13:01 that they are not satisfied, BJP is not satisfied by breaking the Shiv Sena and the NCP. So
13:07 they want to bring in Mr. Sharad Pawar. Also, Chandrashekhar Bhavan Kule also said something
13:13 similar like he said there would be one day when Mr. Sharad Pawar would, he said in a
13:19 very different context, he said he would appreciate the leadership of Prime Minister Modi just
13:24 like what Ajit Pawar did and he would join the NDA. So these comments, how do you see
13:29 these comments as because there is another meeting of India that is going to happen,
13:32 so in Mumbai that is. So how will these comments affect the India alliance meeting that is
13:40 going to take place?
13:41 Shashank, there has been definitely a kind of a restlessness, confusion which is growing
13:45 among the, you know, as far as the Maharashtra is concerned, the Mahavikas Agha department
13:50 that is particularly NCP, Shiv Sena, Uddhav Bala Satyakare and Congress. What is going
13:57 to be the stand of Sharad Pawar when it comes to supporting BJP at the centre level or the
14:02 state level? But that, you know, this thing so-called controversy or the debate, I strongly
14:09 feel should end here as Mr. Pawar has candidly made it clear at the recent wheat rally that
14:18 I will not join hands with BJP. Those who have gone should show some kind of a humility
14:25 because of whom they have grown up in the political circle and political life. I don't
14:31 have to do anything with the BJP, neither I am having a kind of a direct arrangement
14:35 or an indirect arrangement. So I think that matter, it seems to be over because both Nana
14:40 Patole of the state Congress chief as well as Sanjay Lauth who had initially criticised
14:46 Mr. Sharad Pawar for his so-called secret meeting with his nephew, a deserted nephew
14:52 Ajit Pawar last Sunday. Why he is meeting him, it is creating a kind of a confusion
14:58 among the party rank and file and as well as among the MVA also. But as Mr. Pawar has
15:03 candidly made it clear that he has nothing to do with BJP, I don't think and as when
15:08 you talked about that Vadati one, Mr. Pawar has just flatly ridiculed that comment saying
15:14 that no kind of an offer has been made to me by Ajit Pawar. There was one news also
15:21 which was floated in few sections of a certain section of press that Mr. Pawar was offered
15:28 and the offer from BJP was given at the behest of Ajit Pawar was A) Mr. Pawar will be given
15:35 a union cabinet ministerial birth by giving his choice of that agriculture ministry as
15:41 well as vice chairman of Niti Aayog. Both have been, you know, he said these are all
15:47 fake news, planted news and there has been no truth in that. That's what Mr. Pawar has
15:52 clarified. So, A) I don't think now that discussion should go on on this kind of a scenario at
15:59 this point in time because Pawar is very clear he is going to continue with the anti-BJP
16:04 plan and he is going to be definitely one of the mobilisers of India. Just to tell you
16:09 one more thing, Mr. Pawar has already addressed rally in Yevla which used to be the hub of
16:15 Jagan Gujbal, an OBC leader, one of the earlier confidants of Mr. Pawar. Secondly, he addressed
16:20 a meeting in Bihar which has been, you know, being recognised or maybe because of Dhananjay
16:27 Munde who has last time defeated Gopinath Munde's daughter in Parli constituency and
16:32 that's how he became the district guardian minister and he had created his own cloud
16:37 but he also again addressed a meeting there, made it very clear that he is ready to take
16:42 on those who have deserted him. At the same time, he is going to fight head-on with the
16:46 BJP. Next, on 25th, he is going to address in his home city or home district, Pune, that
16:52 is likely to be on 25th or 26th and then again on 4th of September, he is going to address
16:58 a rally in Jalgaon which comes in North Maharashtra. So, Shashank, to put in a right perspective,
17:03 A, he has already ruled out the possibility of joining hands directly or indirectly, supporting
17:09 directly or indirectly or having kind of a sympathetic towards BJP. He has candidly denied
17:16 that, ruled out, rejected that possibility. That's why, you know, even Nana Patel has
17:21 clearly said, we have no confidence that Pawar will continue to be with her. Same thing,
17:28 Sanjay Rao has said that he is like a Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics and I think there
17:35 won't be any kind of a second opinion about him remaining with India. So, I think at this
17:40 point in time, Pawar will continue to step up his attack on BJP, both in state as well
17:47 as at the centre level. There is no question of Ajit Pawar again making kind of a rapprochement
17:53 up, you know, this thing. You know, I will just tell you one inside information. I was
17:56 speaking to one of the ministers who earlier used to be very close confidant and a blue-eyed
18:02 bird of Mr Shalok Pawar, who had joined hands with Ajit Pawar to join this government. You
18:06 know, he had made an offer and then at an emotional and personal level, "Why, sir, you
18:12 know, you are remaining on the other side, why can't you join us and all?" He said, "Yes,
18:17 I will join you. But on one condition, just cut your links with BJP." So, the message
18:22 was very loud and clear. At this point in time, Shalok Pawar is not at all in a mood
18:27 to join hands with the BJP. Neither he is also going to have pardon his nephew who had
18:34 joined there along with whatever that 40-43 legislators that he claims. So, at this point
18:40 in time, Pawar is definitely interested to step up attack and in a fighting mood.
18:46 Sir, Mr Vatidivar, the leader of the opposition has today also said that there will be soon
18:54 a change in the CM's chair. Like he has said there won't be a change in the government,
19:01 but there would be a change in the CM's chair. He has not directly named anybody, but there
19:06 are also rumours of a cold war between Mr Shinde and Mr Ajit Pawar. So, don't you think
19:12 that there is continuous uncertainty which is, end of the day, it is affecting the administration
19:17 of the state and which is, end of the day, affecting the common man?
19:21 Lakshan, it has already affected. Unfortunately, within this so-called Mahayati government,
19:27 couple of legislators and some of the ministers informally while having a chat, clearly say
19:34 we are passing through a PR disaster. Secondly, there is no presence being which is being
19:41 felt of this government. That's the feedback that they are getting. And thirdly, because
19:46 of the Mahayati government, everybody is interested in one-upmanship, to have a credit, as they
19:52 are seeing that the Lok Sabha elections are about there after eight months and after that
19:56 there will be assembly elections in Maharashtra. So, as you rightly said, there is definitely
20:01 a kind of a growing trust deficit among the three partners. At the same time, as the Chief
20:07 Minister, he is no doubt, he is a true Shiv Sainik. What you must have experienced and
20:14 seen after that Kashalwadi incident and that major landslide, he went, he not just waited
20:22 there, he climbed that hilltop and to sort it out, all the help is reached to the victims
20:29 and the families of the diseased in that tragedy. So, he is right now in a position, A, as a
20:37 true Shiv Sainik, he wanted to spread his party wings, but unfortunately, he is not
20:41 getting the due results. But at the same time, he is unable to show his weight in this government
20:48 as a Chief Minister. So, obviously, Mr. Fadlanwiz who had remained as a five-year Chief Minister,
20:54 my God, what should I say, the weight that he was carrying within the party and the grip
21:03 which he had in the government after his demotion, unfortunately, he is also keeping a low profile
21:09 but at the same time showing his mark in the administration and governance. But he knows
21:13 that because of this alliance government, he is unable to assert. At the same time,
21:17 Ajit Pawar, known as an able administrator, having grip on the administration and bureaucracy,
21:23 looking at all those, I mean, the readers and viewers may be aware, this is the fifth
21:28 time Ajit Pawar has taken over as a Deputy Chief Minister, which has no constitutional
21:33 validity, no status, but as a political arrangement, Deputy Chief Minister is like next to the
21:39 Chief Minister. So, he is enjoying that. But he is not keeping quiet. As a Finance Minister,
21:46 he is definitely a major, major minister in this Mahayati government. So, what he is doing,
21:52 and that is again a problem within the Mahayati is that even though there is a war room, which
21:58 is under the Chief Minister, which has been set up basically to have a monitoring as well
22:04 as a review of all the major infrastructure projects, as well as all the necessary projects,
22:10 developmental projects which are going on in the state. So, that is there. But what
22:16 Mr Ajit Pawar has started doing is that he also has got one of what is known as a project
22:21 management unit. Being a Finance Minister, he has got every liberty and power to review,
22:28 to seek discussions and deliberations with the bureaucrats of the concerned departments
22:32 and take a stock of the scenario. So, first meeting he did was basically about reviewing
22:38 all the infrastructure and developmental projects in and around Pune, which is his own district.
22:44 And yesterday, he chaired a meeting about Mitra, which is what is known as an advisory
22:50 body, which has been formed at the initiative or with the initiative of Eknath Chinde and
22:55 his son, Shrikant Chinde, who is an MP from Kalyan to set up this advisory body on the
23:01 lines of Niti Aayog. So, you know, again, the issue of how Maharashtra can become a
23:07 trillion dollar economy and if Maharashtra really achieve that, it will definitely help
23:11 the country to achieve the five trillion dollar economy. So, there is definitely an internal
23:16 clash which is on. But at this point in time, none of the parties can afford, in fact, to
23:24 publicly air their differences or create a scenario wherein they can give a handle for
23:30 opposition to target them. So, at this point in time, three parties are compelled to remain
23:36 together for the survival of the government. At the same time, each of them, like Mr. Chinde
23:43 will try to make every effort to assert, try to assert himself as well as create a scenario
23:51 wherein he is the boss and he is ultimately a boss. Secondly, Devendra Fadnavis after
23:56 demotion is definitely eyeing the Chief Minister's post. But ultimately, it all depends on what
24:02 his party bosses do. And thirdly, Ajit Pawar has never hidden his ambition to become the
24:07 Chief Minister of Maharashtra. So, he will use all the possible power that he has got
24:13 and the department he has got, the finance and planning to see that how he can nurture
24:20 all the necessary, you know, his supporters and also create a scenario wherein he will
24:25 be in a position, you know, basically to command and not, you know, in a position again to
24:32 accept as a Deputy Chief Minister, if at all, the next Mahayati government comes to power.
24:37 So at this point in time, three parties, they are interested just to have, you know, this
24:43 government going. But at the same time, each of them are nurturing their own ambitions
24:49 and will try to see that how they are fulfilled. But at this point in time, they are not interested
24:55 for what we call as a tug of war. But I think as a journalist, we'll have to keep a close
25:01 vigil on their developments.
25:03 Sir, so can there be another change in guard before the Lok Sabha elections on the Maharashtra
25:11 Chief Minister's chair?
25:13 I can discuss unofficially, informally or off the record with all the three parties.
25:20 You know, nobody is of the view that there will be a change in the government or change
25:24 in the leadership, in fact. But a section of some of this, I will not name any party,
25:32 but you know, within NCP or Congress, they are not sure what will happen to Eknath Chinday.
25:42 Like you must have heard yesterday, the disgruntled legislator who has missed the board, our cabinet
25:50 ministerial bird, Bharat Gogaule from Raigad, he said, CM should be aware that only because
25:56 of them, that those 39 legislators and 10 independents, he could make it to the chief
26:01 minister's post. So he should not just go on, you know, neglecting them. What it shows,
26:06 this is a bizarre statement. This has put in the chief minister in a very embarrassing
26:10 scenario. So I still feel that, you know, the chief minister definitely enjoys blessings
26:17 from the Mahashakti, that is BJP's top bosses. So at least at this point, I don't think there
26:23 will be any kind of a change of guard. But you know, as always, we can say in politics,
26:29 everything is possible and anywhere, anytime, that anytime and anywhere, what can happen
26:36 or evolve into a scenario, that we'll have to keep a watch on that.
26:41 Sanjay sir, my last question to you. Soon, there will be Lok Sabha elections. Maharashtra
26:48 is the second largest in terms of constituencies, 48 seats. Now, three parties on both the sides,
26:56 you can say Shiv Sena in the ruling, Shiv Sena in the opposition, NCP in the ruling,
27:01 NCP in the opposition and BJP and Congress, the National Party, 48 seats. Last time, there
27:08 was United Shiv Sena, which fought 23 seats, and they won 18 out of it. So this time, what
27:15 do you think, how much would Ashinde led Shiv Sena get? And obviously, the vice versa, the
27:22 Maharashtra Vikas Agadi Shiv Sena, that is the Uddhav Thakki led Shiv Sena, fight on.
27:26 When we discuss this issue, let's first start with that BJP's mission 45 plus. It is BJP,
27:33 which has among these parties, three parties have already taken a huge kind of a lead.
27:40 A, they have already set up their party observers in all 40 constituencies, they have already
27:45 started working on that. They have also stepped up, you know, reach out to the voters at the
27:50 level of booths. Just to tell you the readers and viewers, there are close to 1 lakh booths
27:58 across Maharashtra, of which about 12 and a half thousand are in Mumbai alone. You may
28:04 not be aware of that. So, BJP has already reached out to that level. You know, very
28:10 interestingly, BJP is interested and just to tell you again, just two days before, Chandrasekhar
28:15 Deve, who has completed one year in his office at the state BJP unit, has said that he is
28:20 going to soon launch his, you know, what is called a yatra in 28 Lok Sabha seats. Why
28:27 28? Nobody knows that. At the same time, you know, there was a talk that Ajit Pawar led
28:33 NCP may stake claim over about 10 to 13 Lok Sabha. So, that comes to how much? 41. So,
28:40 remaining what? 7 to 8 goes to Shinde. One of the ministers, that is Tanaji Savan, who
28:47 is health minister, recently has said that nothing doing. Shiv Sena led by Ekna Chinde
28:53 will definitely stake claim over 18 seats. Means, what he is recalling that, what Uddhav
28:58 Thackeray led, or the combined Shiv Sena had won in the last Lok Sabha election. So, it
29:03 is ultimately to be seen who will grab the seats, what will be the negotiations that
29:09 will go into and ultimately, undoubtedly, BJP will have a major say in that. You know,
29:15 there is one kind of a buzz which is also on. If, you know, Ekna Chinde group, those
29:22 who are aspirant, are not sure about getting elected, so there is a possibility that they
29:29 may be fielded on a BJP symbol or a BJP ticket. That is also an angle that will have to be
29:35 looked into. So, ultimately, right now, three parties are working in, you know, what they
29:41 call, not open or not…
29:43 Sanjay sir, sorry to interrupt you. You said that some of the Shinde Shiv Sena members
29:50 would be filed on a BJP ticket. So, can you elaborate on that?
29:55 Yeah, yeah. You know, this is the discussion which is happening in the Shinde faction,
30:00 to whom I have been speaking to a couple of their legislators and the former MPs and the
30:05 sitting MPs. Nobody is sure about their fate because right now, they are going to stay
30:11 claim, that's what they are saying internally, about on an 18th seat. But whether BJP will
30:16 be so lenient or BJP will be definitely, you know, what we can say, prepared to give so
30:24 many seats as they have to achieve that 48 out of that 45 plus mission. I mean, that's
30:30 a question mark which is being discussed within the BJP and within the Shinde group also.
30:34 So, that's what I'm saying. One of the possibilities is that some of the Shinde, you know, this
30:41 faction members may be given a ticket on a BJP symbol and they will be fielded in the
30:48 Lok Sabha seat. But we'll have to discuss, you know, internally and we'll have to watch
30:52 whether this will be a reality or what will happen because still that, you know, what
30:57 we can say, stage has yet to come. No discussion has taken place so far. But one thing we must
31:04 admire and we must take a note is that BJP is already on an election mode and they have
31:10 already announced that they will continue to step up their exercise so that they will
31:16 be ultimately able to reach the cross sections and a large number of voters.
31:24 I think that sums it all, Sanjay sir. Thank you for joining. So viewers, this was Sanjay
31:31 Jove, political analyst, senior journalist. We are going to keep you posted on updates
31:38 on Maharashtra politics. But for that, you have to subscribe to SW News English.
31:43 Thank you.
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31:46 you