On future of Bullet Train project, Maharashtra CM Uddhav asks 'Who will benefit?'

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday in an interview to Sanjay Raut, the Executive Editor of Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana', broke his silence on bullet trains. He said that his government will decide on bullet trains only after speaking to all stakeholders and to people. This comes even as Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting her budget said that the government will actively pursue the 508-km bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

CM Thackeray said, "What I think about the bullet train is that everyone should sit together and talk about the bullet train. We should see as to who will benefit from a bullet train. We have to see if the business will increase due to the bullet train. If it is beneficial then explain how. We will also seek people's standpoint on it and then we will decide."

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Bullet train and BJP

In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone for India's first bullet train that will connect Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat, to Mumbai, cutting travel time from seven hours to less than three. The project, the central government says will bring in employment, revenue and even international trade to both the cities. Meanwhile, finance minister Sitharaman had in her Budget speech on February 1 said that the government is planning to undertake similar projects elsewhere. "More Tejas type trains will connect tourist destinations."

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'An accidental Chief Minister?'

Earlier on Monday, CM Thackeray spoke about breaking alliance with the BJP and forming the Maha Vikas Aghadi with ideologically opposite Congress, NCP. He said that 'Hindutva' to him means honouring the word given by him. Asked if he was an 'Accidental Chief Minister', the Shiv Sena president answered, "Maybe."

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On breaking the ties with the BJP and aligning with ideologically different parties like the NCP and Congress, Thackeray said that such tie-ups were made earlier also, and asserted that the interest of the State and country was not bigger than any ideology. "I was not new to political power as I have seen my father (late Sena chief Bal Thackeray) wield it since my childhood. What came unexpectedly was the chair of power (CM's post)," he said.

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