It’s our guarantees versus their ‘jumlebazi’: Priyanka Chaturvedi (IANS Interview)

Mumbai, Nov 14 (IANS) Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra and Deputy Leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), on Thursday, said there is no stopping the MVA from coming to power as voters have already made up their minds to reject MahaYuti’s divisive politics.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Chaturvedi spoke on a range of issues including Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) confidence ahead of voting for the 288-seat Assembly on November 20, personal attacks on Uddhav Thackeray, quota politics, unfair enforcement of model poll code and Mahayuti’s plan to use star campaigners like Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Here is the full interview:

IANS: How confident is MVA of winning the Maharashtra Assembly election?

Priyanka Chaturvedi: The enormous public support we are getting gives us the confidence that we are coming to power. Despite attempts to spread misinformation that it is a close fight or that voters are confused or that Ladki Bahin Yojana is a game changer, I want to tell you that people know the truth. The women getting Rs 1,500 per month under the Yojana are saying that this amount is of no help as prices have touched the sky.

IANS: Is rhetoric overshadowing public welfare in these elections?

Priyanka Chaturvedi: The BJP is known for pursuing divisive politics. No matter how much they push ‘Batne-Katne ki politics’ or Hindu-Muslim politics, the MVA is sticking to issues related to welfare. The MVA is talking about issues which will be a guarantee for Maharashtra voters but they are only indulging in ‘jumlebazi’ (creating hysteria through comments). I am confident that the support and love we got from voters in Lok Sabha elections will bring us to power in Assembly elections. The real issues in this election are price rise, joblessness, economic crisis, restoration of respect for women and getting fair prices to farmers.

IANS: Are there any differences within the MVA over the Chief Minister’s face in Maharashtra?

Priyanka Chaturvedi: I can see confusion in the ranks of the ‘Mahajhuti’ alliance over the CM face. Home Minister Amit Shah has been telling voters at rallies that they should vote with the belief that they would be voting to make Devendra Fadnavis the Chief Minister. Amit Shah also said at a rally that this time they may target making a coalition government but in 2029 the voters must help make a BJP majority government. As for MVA, our only objective is to bring Maharashtra back to the path of development. The way the people of the state have been cheated and Maharashtra’s culture has been disrespected, the MVA only wants to restore their pride.

IANS: Are tall leaders from the Congress also going to campaign at a time when national leaders of the BJP, including PM Modi, are holding a series of rallies in Maharashtra?

Priyanka Chaturvedi: I welcome PM Modi to Mumbai but I don’t think his rallies are going to make any difference as MVA won 16 of the 18 Assembly segments in which he held rallies during Lok Sabha elections. On the contrary, I consider Modiji as a star campaigner for MVA. Now he is in Mumbai but voters here have already made up their minds that they would dump those parties that have pitted members of one political family against another, disrespected the voters’ mandate and formed a government in the state by breaking other parties.

IANS: What do you have to say on BJP leaders’ comment that Uddhav Thackeray is a ‘coward’ as he was hiding in his home instead of working for the people during the pandemic?

Priyanka Chaturvedi: I consider those people as cowards who work in the dead of the night to pull down a government. The real cowards are those who can’t win in Maharashtra without using money-power and agencies. The real cowards are those who distort the Constitution and do not have the guts to win elections without using photographs of Bala Saheb Thackeray. Those who form governments using illegal means are the real cowards.

IANS: PM Modi has said in his rallies that the MVA will give reservation to Muslims at the cost of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs. What is your take on this?

Priyanka Chaturvedi: It is the RSS plan to end the reservation. It is against the welfare of the marginalised sections and wants to end the quota. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is part of this plan to indulge in quota politics by pitting Marathas against OBC and Hindus against Muslims. The voters of Maharashtra are smart and are aware of their designs to spread falsehood.

IANS: MahaYuti leaders have accused Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar of making sexist remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ wife.

Priyanka Chaturvedi: Being a woman, I have myself faced harassment in politics and from my personal experience I can say that a comment that someone makes on Instagram reels is not a sexist remark. I myself make reels and I have no objection to Kanhaiya Kumar mentioning this in public. I won’t link this comment to sexism and I request all media persons, too, to not limit the fight for women’s rights to such a non-issue.

IANS: Why are MVA leaders objecting to EC officials checking their bags during the election campaign? They say even the Chief Minister’s and Deputy Chief Minister’s bags are being checked under the election code.

Priyanka Chaturvedi: I thank the EC for showering special love on Uddhavji and MVA leaders. The EC may continue checking bags and do so as many times as they want. After Uddhavji shared a video of his bag check, now there is a race among the rivals to get their bags checked.

–IANS

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