BJP-Sena will win more seats this yr, says Maurya

Mumbai: Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister and co-in-charge for the Maharashtra elections Keshav Prasad Maurya, who has been camping in Maharashtra for a month, has participated in public meetings and road shows. Taking out sometime for his busy schedule, Mr Maurya sat down with The Asian Age for a chat in Mumbai.
Edited Excerpts:

What is the current situation in the state?
I feel the BJP and its alliance partner will win more seats compared to the 2014 Assembly election. This election is not about the Mahayuti (grand alliance) but about the people and party workers of the state. The party is contesting the election to make Mumbai, the financial centre of the country, the financial centre of the world.

If the state election is about the people, why did the party deny tickets to three senior Cabinet ministers?
The party takes these decisions, and we have full faith in our leaders, who has taken this decision. The party must have had something in mind with regard to those who have been denied tickets. However, they are working in full swing to ensure a victory for the alliance.   
       
If the party has done good work in the last five years, as you claim, why do you need to import leaders from the Congress and NCP?
Leaders from the Congress and its like-minded party are now thinking that there is no future in their party and they also feel that the BJP, which is working for the welfare of the poor and in the interest of the country, is a good choice for them. The party welcomes those who are impressed by our policies and are willing to join us.
 
Why was state president Chandrakant Patil fielded from Kothrud in Pune even though he hails from Kolhapur? Is it because he was not confident of contesting elections from his hometown and instead opted for a safe seat?
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hails from Gujarat, had contested the Lok Sabha election from Varanasi. There is no question of a safe seat or unsafe seat. The party has decided to field Mr Patil from Kothrud.  

Former PM Manmohan Singh said that the Congress did not oppose the abrogation of Article 370 but opposed how it was executed. Your response?
If he was not opposed to Article 370, why is he questioning it? They (Congress) were in power with a strong mandate so why did they not abrogate Article 370? Moreover, why did the Congress not vote in favour of the abrogation of the Article in Parliament?

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has predicted that the country’s economy will deteriorate further. Do you agree?
Rahul Gandhi should not try to talk like an expert economist. Rather, he should introspect on why the Congress was rejected by the people under his leadership.

Every BJP leader, from the PM to a ward-level leader, is talking about Article 370 and nationalism. Is the BJP diverting attention from local issues by raising these topics?
No, this is not the case. Good work is being done for the farmers and the poor. Lots of work has been done to bring happiness to other backward classes. If they (Congress-NCP) think the abrogation of Article 370 is a wrong decision, they should say that they will bring it back if voted to power. However, they will never come to power.