In an interview to his party organ Saamna, Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thackeray playing ‘regionalism’ as his trump card for the election, asked reservation for Maharashtrians in building societies amidst expressing opinions on different issues. The assembly election in Maharashtra would be held in 2009.
Advocating for the Marathi-speaking people, he said that no construction of residential complexes in Mumbai would be permitted if it does not reserves flats for Maharashtrians.
He said that builders should be kept flats reserved up to 50 percent in their apartments for the “sons of the soil.”
Developers in Mumbai have come under pressure after suddenly issuing a dictate to follow the order released not surprisingly from Shiv Sena supremo, Bal Thackeray.
He said that builders should set aside a quota for Maharashtrians and that the quota must be mentioned in the contract.
The home-reservation dictate is looking in terms of a reaction to the Maharashtra Government's doing away with the Land Ceiling Act, and opening up more space for real estate development in Mumbai.
The real estate prices are soaring and after the repeal of the Urban Land Ceiling Act (ULCA) the marathi manoosh or the average Maharashtrians would be marginalized in their own state, he said.
Thackeray's comments can be seen in the context of his scornful attack on non-Maharashtrians, asking for permits to be issued to those working in Mumbai.
The Party Chief said no ten no twenty percent, but about 50 percent will have to be reserved for the Maharashtrians in the towers that are going to be built up in economic capital of India.
Or else, he said, “We won’t even allow a brick to be put in place. Builders should give a written undertaking to this effect, with a clear mention about the space allocation to Maharashtrians. We are not specifying how much area should be allocated but it should be enough to allow for comfortable living."
Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena Executive President said, ''Maharashtrians are living in hutments, while towers are being built. How can this go on?''
Rajesh Tope, Minister of State for Urban Development said, ‘‘you cannot have a quota for Maharashtrians in high rises in a cosmopolitan city. Our effort is to create housing stock for lower and middle income groups a part of its housing policy which is under consideration and Many Maharashtrians will benefit from this.''
With the Shiv Sena's strong-arm tactics, builders now have gone on the back foot. Builders are of the opinion that it all is a political stunt. He is doing this because elections are closing in. they said that anyone can understand motive behind this dictate that is nothing more than to appease the party’s vote bank.
In the same interview with the Sena mouthpiece Saamna, Shiv Sena also voiced his opinion about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his recent victory in the polls.
Thackeray said Gujarat and Maharashtra are different provinces with different set of minds that the native have. Modi's success did not mean that people in Maharashtra would accept him as easily. He commented that when power went to a person's head, it was difficult to say how he would behave.
He said ''Modi had benefited by Godhra and the Gujarat riots. It is because of these that he came to power. People of Gujarat began to feel that he is their saviour. Muslims are scared of him.''
But the Maharashtrians are intelligent and they know well which party is beneficial for them. They would not come into trap of Modi’s magic, prevalent in Gujarat.
Expressing his views on the prime ministerial candidate, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar was “prime ministerial material” but the company of the Congress had “tainted” his image.
He said further he wanted a marathi to become prime minister, but not remaining a mere puppet of the Congress president Sonia Gandhi. NCP chief Shara Pawar is a strong contender for the post of prime minister, but not without precondition.
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