'People have lost their youth to dirty politics of a select few'

The mercurial Udayanraje Bhosale stumped Sharad Pawar when he quit as NCP MP in September just five months after winning from Satara His return to the BJP was perhaps the biggest political surprise among rampant NCP desertions including his cousin Shivendraraje Shivajis direct descendant is back in the electoral fray fighting the bypoll for the seat he vacated against former colleague exMP and exgovernor Shriniwas PatilShivajis direct descendant is back in the electoral fray fighting the bypoll for the seat he vacated against former colleague exMP and governor Shriniwas Patil while Shivendraraje fights for the SataraJavali assembly seat midday caught up with Bhosale on the campaign trail where he explains why he quit the NCP and canvasses on local issues promising to resolve them with the BJPs cloutExcerptsHaving forced an election on people in just five months will you win comfortablyThis sort of movement of leaders to the BJP has happened for the first time in India I havent joined the BJP for any personal gains but to develop the region by working in the ruling party I wouldnt have contested bypoll if my supporters were against meI am responsible to the people and had to take a decision Im born in a family that makes me even more responsible It is my destiny to carry forward the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj When I fight for the public good I dont care about myselfUdayanraje Bhosle and cousin Shivendraraje Bhosle campaigning in SataraDid the NCP fail youThe special irrigation projects for Krishna Basin were started by the erstwhile BJPSena government in which I served as a minister The Congress NCP wasnt formed yet was expected to execute similar projects because a maximum MLAs and MPs from Western Maharashtra were from the same party for years The BJP and Sena did their bit and went out of power Later the NCP which controlled the irrigation and Krishna Basin departments did not complete the projects Instead they escalated the project costs and wasted huge amounts of money Any irrigation project should be completed in 10 to 12 years but the people have been denied the facility that would have raised their living standard The two ministers he did not name Ajit Pawar and Ramraje Nimbalkar responsible for these projects should tell people about their unpardonable lapsesWhy did you not intervene thenI did try telling the party the truth but I still dont know who delayed and stopped these allimportant projects I was ridiculed when I asked about itThere was a time when the same leaders ganged up against me and wanted to immerse me like a Ganesh idol But my wellwishers the people I work selflessly for stood by me You wouldnt have seen me today had the evil plans succeeded The powerful NCP leaders have wasted a generation of poor farmers Farmers my age 53 should have got water a long ago They have lost their youth to the dirty politics of a select few People know who they are These leaders have no moral right to hold on to power and must answer peoples questions The projects if completed in time would have helped ease water scarcity in droughthit areas Riverlinking projects and the water pipeline grid would have become reality a long time ago Now only the Sahyadri can help us accumulate rainwater We have a place in the neighbourhood Mahabaleshwar that received the highest rainfall in the country this yearWhy the BJP Did it help you resolve issuesVery much The demands and suggestions I had been making to NCP leaders were heard by CM Devendra Fadnavis who is my old friend The NCP didnt do a single welfare scheme I suggested but Fadnavis and his ministerial colleagues ensured that my reasonable demands were met Henceforth we will work together and bring about a great changeThe BJP has been working to solve various problems without compromise or a partisan approach People will support the BJP I have some morality and selfconsciousness left in me Thats why I chose BJPYour wishlistI want to do something substantial and sustainable small but significant for which Maharashtra remembers me even after I am gone forever Thats my only wish I look up to Shivaji Maharaj who is remembered even after 350 years for his service to the underprivilegedWhat elseMigration to Mumbai is a serious problem in western Maharashtra Why cant we create Mumbailike opportunities in each district People wont go there if they are given options to make a decent living Ours is a virgin area that can be developed in many sectors like tourism dryland farming and service industryWill the BJP sweep western MaharashtraPeople will decide Unprecedented public work is being carried out It doesnt need Udayanraje to tell the people who to vote for The public representatives who connect with people get reward from votersWill you take up a bigger roleI repeatedly say politics is not my cup of tea I worked for friends in university elections but never contested But when my town needed me I started as a municipal council member When Gopinath Munde asked me about assembly elections and then ministry I told him very frankly that the positions should go to seniors I told him I couldnt work within the confines of four walls In the future I dont want a ministers post because I believe I can work for my people even without it I decide for myself others dont enforce their decisions on meCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates