Lok Sabha elections 2024: ‘Yavatmal-Washim will teach traitors a lesson’

In an attempt to shore up its ranks and have a strong contender to take on leaders from the Eknath Shinde camp in YavatmalWashim the Shiv Sena UBT had inducted and fielded former partymanturnedrebel Sanjay Uttamrao DeshmukhAfter assuming the role of Digras taluka chief as a Shiv Sena member in 1998 he ascended to the position of Shiv Senarsquos district chief alongside Sanjay RathodIn the 1999 Assembly elections he broke away from the party and contested independently securing a seat as an MLA Serving from 1999 to 2004 Deshmukh represented the Digras Assembly seat During his tenure from 2002 to 2004 he held the portfolio of minister of state overseeing sports and minesDeshmukh paid tribute to the late Vasantrao Naik at his memorial at Gahuli village in Pusad Yavatmal on Tuesday PicsSatej ShindeDespite setbacks and losses in elections thereafter Deshmukh persisted In the 2019 Assembly elections he once again challenged Sanjay Rathod Despite Rathodrsquos victory Deshmukh garnered over 75000 votes demonstrating significant support for his candidacy Following the Shinde rebellion in 2022 Deshmukh joined Uddhav Thackerayrsquos factionHe has now emerged as one of the pivotal candidates representing Shiv Sena UBT and INDIA in Vidarbha In an interview with midday he expressed confidence about victory asserting that he wouldnrsquot need to exert significant efforts to defeat lsquogaddarsrsquo traitorsThe YavatmalWashim constituency has consistently elected the same MP for the past five terms How do you assess the regionrsquos development over the past two decadesOver the past 2025 years with the incumbent MP serving for such a prolonged period and the BJP holding power at the Centre for a decade the development narrative in YavatmalWashim remains bleak The completion of crucial projects such as the railway line has been sluggish with only 34 kilometres completed in the past decade This pace of development starkly contradicts the grand promises made by the BJP undermining their claims of substantial progress under PM Narendra Modirsquos leadershipWhat do you consider to be the significant issues you would prioritiseIf entrusted with the responsibility by the electorate my foremost priority would be to address the pressing need for employment opportunities for our youth and to resolve the challenges faced by our farmers ensuring fair prices for their produce I am also committed to upholding the principles of our constitution and advocating for the rights of marginalised communities Drawing from my experience as an Independent MLA for two terms and my tenure as a state minister I possess a deep understanding of legislative frameworks and will leverage this knowledge to raise pertinent issues in Parliament I will also endeavour to expose the falsehoods and dispel the misleading narratives propagated by the BJP government presenting a more accurate image to the citizens of our nationThe PM has emphasised in his election campaign how government schemes have purportedly benefited the poor underprivileged Dalits and tribals Have these schemes reached your constituencyThe reality is that the government has halted recruitment for government jobs opting instead to prioritise privatisation and cater to the interests of industrialists and businessmen There is a pressing need for the government to focus on assisting and safeguarding the common peoplendashthe poor marginalised farmers and the unemployed Unfortunately I have not observed any of these purported schemes reaching the marginalised communities anywhere in my constituencyBJP has been emphasising development in election campaigns Will this help them win seats in Vidarbha What are your thoughts on thisI challenge the BJP to highlight a single project they initiated and completed in YavatmalWashim since coming to power under Modirsquos leadership If they can show even one such accomplishment Irsquoll gladly carry out whatever punishment they deem fit Development seems to be confined to Gujarat Vidarbha in Maharashtra has seen little progress The election results will demonstrate how the tide has turned against the BJP Even seats contested by stalwarts like Nitin Gadkari are facing challenges this timeYavatmalWashim is set to witness a unique scenario with Shiv Sena pitted against Shiv Sena How do you foresee this battle unfoldingIn my view the other faction of Shiv Sena is nothing but a group of gaddars The true Shiv Sena is the one led by Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Balasaheb Thackeray toiled tirelessly akin to turning blood into water to unite people and establish this party naming it Shiv Sena These traitors have betrayed Balasaheb Thackerayrsquos legacy Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray commands immense respect across religious and caste lines The people will surely teach these traitors a lesson by not voting for them Gone are the days when people relied on local leaders or intermediaries to dictate their voting choices People are more discerning now they make their own decisionsYou have been criticising the rival candidate Rajashree Patil from Shinde Sena referring to her as a lsquoBaher cha outside productrsquo in your campaigns Donrsquot you think this is offensiveAbsolutely not but what the BJP and Shindersquos camp have done is more offensive to the people The disregard for local representation is evident in their choice to field an outsider This decision undermines the trust of nearly 1950 lakh voters and belittles the importance of native candidates This outsider was a rejected candidate from Hingoli and they have gotten a rejected candidate here The arrogant belief of the BJP that they can field anyone and still win is soon to be shattered by the voters who will reject their overconfidence and arrogance at the pollsDo you think if your rival candidate was sitting MP Bhavana Gawali the fight would have been a little tougherRegardless of who my rival would have been it seems the people have already made up their minds After witnessing years of governance and slow development coupled with the fact that this rival is an outsider I believe victory is out of their reach