What is the state of your alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra?
In Maharashtra we are going to stay the way we were. The alliance of 1990 will continue in 1996.
You intend contesting Lok Sabha seats beyond Maharashtra. Will you have seat adjustments with the BJP outside the state?
Mahajan (BJP all-India general secretary Pramod Mahajan) has cleared their position. He says that I have the right to move beyond this state. Do I need Mahajan to give me this right? We are not power greedy, neither do I want to be the prime minister. But one must have a representation in Parliament. If something goes wrong we must have people there to say it is wrong. So to that extent we are fighting. Our demand is not much—a few seats here and there. But there is no question of my begging them for a seat here or there. If they want, they can come to me.
You spoke of contesting 30 seats in Maharashtra—how many will you actually settle for?
We will contest 20 to 25 seats in the state.
The BJP feels that your demand for seats is unfair. After all, you had contested 171 seats and gave them 117 seats in the recent assembly polls, so now they expect the lion's share.
On what basis are they asking for more seats? They should give us the seats they lost in the last election. That will give us a fair chance too to lose those seats.
Mahajan has said that seat adjustments will be based on two criteria: ideological closeness and respective strengths in the state. Is that how you see it too?
What is their ideology? And if the basis is strength, how is it that we get less seats now? What is this business of give and take, like in a bazaar?
So you will not bargain with them?
That's for the other states. Let them fight alone, we will fight on our own.
They have projected Vajpayee as the candidate for prime minister. Is the liberal face your ally is trying to project in consonance with your views?
Let them project any face—how can I sayno. It is their problem. If they chose him, I should see he becomes prime minister.
You say Kashi and Mathura should definitely be on the election agenda?
Of course, the Muslims have destroyed 3,500 of our temples and built mosques over them. We are demanding that they return only three. Babri is with us; Kashi and Mathura are left. Why should we not ask for them? We are not living in Pakistan. It is our right.
Kashi and Mathura have been dropped from the BJP agenda. Will you insist they be reinstated?
Insist? That will come later on. Hindus are always taken for granted.
Your criticism of the BJP, especially during their Bombay convention, as well as your increased demands for seats are creating problems with your ally. What is your comment?
The trouble is created by table news.
You have been quoted by the media as saying you will contest 100 seats beyond Maharashtra.
Not so many seats. Enough representation is what we are looking for, that's all. In Maharashtra we want substantial representation, so that it will also be difficult for MPs to just quit the party (of four Sena MPs, only one is left).
