You were the first to hit the campaign trail in Maharashtra. Was it your own decision or one taken by the party?
I told Balasaheb (Bal Thackeray) before starting. There is no poll atmosphere now. It has not been created yet since the election date has not been announced. We are only trying to create it. I am just going around telling people: wake up, wake up, there is an election coming.
What about your cousin Uddhav (Thackeray)? Will you and your cousin campaign together?
I don't know when he will start campaigning. I have started from my side. There will be no joint tours. That will be a waste of energy.
How well do you expect the Sena-BJP alliance to perform in this election?
We could get anything between 22 and 28 seats. This will be on our own strength. I am not counting the Congress' negative vote.
On what basis do you make this assessment, especially since you got only nine seats in the last election, and your government's decisions have been seen as anti-minority?
I say this on the basis of the Congress' internal fights. The last time they put up rebel candidates to pull each other down, and lost. Their fights are still going on. Their main campaigner's (Sharad Pawar) image is very bad. As for the minorities I think they understand us. I don't think they will go against us. I also say this on the basis of the Vidhan Sabha voting pattern. After touring the state for the Vidhan Sabha poll campaign, I had predicted that we would get between 130 and 139 seats. People laughed—but I was right.
Have you ever considered fighting elections yourself?
(Shakes head vigorously) I am not interested now. Maybe tomorrow, but that depends on the situation.
What kind of political future do you see for yourself?
I never do anything thinking I want to become this or that. If it is there in my destiny that I should become Chief minister, I will. If it is not my fate to be, I won't. That's the way it is. What I want to do is make a film . That is what I have always wanted to do, and this is not because my elder brothers Jaidev and Bindu Madhav (Thackeray's sons) are making films. I want to make a film—I don't want the artiste in me to die.
There are constant reports that the Shiv Sena leadership is annoyed with you and Uddhav for interfering in party matters? What is your opinion?
There is no problem. Everyone asks me this—now you too. They are doing their work, and so are we. I don't think there is anything like this in their minds. This is being circulated by the politically unemployed youth—correction, make it just politically unemployed—we have recently removed from power. They spread these stories.
