‘As captain, Chavan failed to defend me’

But if the Congress-NCP alliance survives, how many seats would the NCP be satisfied with?

When talks between the two parties are going on at the highest level, I do not think it’s right for me to comment on this. But if you are asking me as a state NCP leader, I would reiterate my party’s demand for 144 out of the 288 Assembly seats.

And who has the upper hand in a four-cornered contest?

The NCP and the Shiv Sena. Although BJP leaders are still gloating over their Lok Sabha victory, it cannot be denied that the party would need the Sena’s grassroots network to be a serious contender.

It is interesting that you say your party stands to gain in a multi-cornered fight. The NCP will bear the brunt of the opposition’s attack on corruption allegations against the Congress-NCP government.

The allegations are baseless. These were levelled with the aim of maligning the image of senior ministers. The opposition has failed to prove any of these allegations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had employed a similar strategy to unseat the UPA government. With the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh choosing not to defend his ministers over such allegations, an incorrect perception of a corrupt UPA regime was painted.

Serious corruption allegations have also been levelled against you in contracts for toll projects in Maharashtra and the construction of Delhi’s Maharashtra Sadan…

I have been a victim of media trial and vendetta politics. How can I be accused of corruption in toll projects when these contracts have been awarded following guidelines that are also followed in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and at the Centre? Similarly, there is no truth in allegations over the Maharashtra Sadan project.

But is it not true that your own party and colleagues opted out of defending you?

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has always supported me. It is, however, true that the CM should have done more to defend his minister. The CM-headed cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure approves toll projects before they are tendered for. The CM had all the information to rubbish the allegations, but did not do it. As the captain of the team, he failed in his duty to defend his own teammate against baseless allegations.

How do you explain your defeat from the Nashik LS seat? Are the Assembly polls not a battle for your own survival?

My defeat from the Nashik LS seat was solely due to the Narendra Modi factor. With the Modi factor not playing a role in the state polls, the development carried out in Nashik during the last five years would come into play.

When the Shiv Sena was going through a transition phase following Bal Thackeray’s demise, you were among the few who felt that the party would continue to grow under Uddhav Thackeray. Why so?

Have I not been proven right? I said this for I know that Uddhav is a great planner and always keeps a cool state of mind. Raj Thackeray, on the other hand, is only a better stage performer.