`The BJP didn’t sabotage things, the disgruntled elements were from our own part

I did have party president’s blessings but I was not her candidate. In fact, Soniaji had no direct role to play in the process of the selecting the CM since she had no candidate of her own. The AICC observers were given the mandate of selecting the person who had the support of the majority MLAs as CM, and an overwhelming number sided with me. At the same time, I owe everything I am today to Soniaji and before her to Rajivji, my mentor.

But there were several ugly scenes after you were selected by the MLAs.

What happened (to the Madhya Pradesh CM and Ghulam Nabi Azad) shouldn’t have taken place. Later, V.C. Shukla himself apologised to the chief minister and Azad. Some of the MLAs, about seven, did not support me and this is perfectly acceptable in a demoractic party.

Isn’t your government going to be fragile and unstable, considering your slender majority and the twin dangers from V.C. Shukla and the BJP.

The government will run without any hassles. The seven MLAs who did not initially side with me returned soon after the swearing in. I don’t perceive a threat from Shuklaji simply because there was no real fight between us. I have spoken to him after I became CM and everything appears under to be control now. Some people did try to create a tribal non-tribal divide among the MLAs but they didn’t succeed. Apart from the 48 MLAs in the party, I now have the support of two independents and one MLA from the Gondwana party, which is a total of 51 in the 90 member assembly.

What about reports that your long-standing rival Digvijay Singh, who played a key, though reluctant, role in your installation, has left you to fend for yourself?

Digvijay and I have had our differences in the past but in this election (to the Chhattisgarh CM’s post) he was kind enough to lend me support. There is no question of any danger from him. We belong to the same party and are CMs of neighbouring states. What could be better than that?

The BJP tried to stall your installation till the very last moment and were in active touch with V.C. Shukla…

I don’t think that true. As far as my knowledge goes, the BJP didn’t try anything to sabotage things. They did not stake their claim to form the government. There were some disgruntled elements in our own party who were spreading these canards.

Would you like to settle for a large ministry?

I have not held any consultations with senior leaders on this so far. It’s a sensitive issue, and any decision will be in the interest of the state and party. The cabinet is likely to be expanded after November 7.

What will be your priorities in the new state?

THE immediate problem is that of the unprecedented drought which has affected almost all the 16 districts and led to large-scale migration of entire families. I have ordered for immediate relief measures to be taken, and I plan to visit all the affected areas. Severe austerity measures are called for to tackle the drought. There’s also the problem of setting up a brand new administration. Unlike other states, I plan to limit the expenditure on the administration to 40 per cent of the budget. Then, there is the long-term goal of ridding the state of the irony of being one of the most mineral-rich states as well as one of the poorest.

Your state is mineral-rich in diamonds, teak forests, bauxite, iron ore, mica. You have opposed the entry of multi-nationals for exploitation of these resources. But there are reports that several MNCs are making a beeline for the new state. What will be your policy now?

My stand stays the same. Companies who want to exploit the state’s resources should be Indian, and if the MNCs are keen on coming here, they should at least be registered in the country. The aim is to ensure that some share of the profit is invested in the state for its development.