Mumbai: In a sharp critique ahead of West Bengal’s assembly elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey dismissed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ambitions, asserting that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s development record has won the hearts of the people. ‘BJP’s plans won’t succeed in Bengal,’ Dubey declared in an exclusive interview.
Over the past 15 years, Dubey pointed out, the BJP has relentlessly campaigned against Banerjee through daily rallies, yet failed to secure victory. Banerjee, on the other hand, has triumphed in every election. This lack of a ‘double-engine’ government—despite BJP’s central rule—frustrates the party, as Bengal’s electorate consistently rejects their overtures and bolsters Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.
Even the imposition of President’s Rule won’t change the tide, Dubey predicted. Shifting focus to Maharashtra, he addressed the controversial 5% reservation for Muslims introduced in 2014, clarifying it targeted education and government jobs for the economically disadvantaged, not religion-based quotas. ‘Reservation must be for the economically weak, not divided by faith,’ he emphasized, warning against a slippery slope where Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis could demand similar benefits.
On the tragic death of Ajit Pawar, Dubey renewed calls for a Supreme Court-appointed committee probe, criticizing the DGCA’s handling. He praised Rohit Pawar’s analysis and Sunetra Pawar’s push for CBI inquiry into the Ahmedabad plane crash linked to Pawar’s demise. ‘As time passes, questions of accident versus conspiracy will mount,’ he said.
Commenting on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent remarks, Dubey questioned their novelty, invoking Sanatan Dharma’s ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’—the world as one family. ‘Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians—we are all brothers,’ he stated, adding that India’s Muslims were once Hindus, a fact the BJP overlooks.