Praveen Khandelwal, BJP MP from Chandni Chowk.
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
Having a chief ministerial face is not important and the central leadership will choose the right person when the time comes, Praveen Khandelwal told Frontline ahead of the Delhi Assembly election in February. On the BJP’s U-turn on the AAP’s welfare schemes, which Narendra Modi had termed “revdi” in the past, Khandelwal said the Central government had launched schemes such as free rations successfully since they are provided for in the Budget, but Kejriwal had only made tall promises to win the election.
Excerpts:
Do you think that the BJP will end its 27-year-long wait to win the Delhi Assembly election?
The people of Delhi were under a great illusion when Arvind Kejriwal came into politics and they gave a huge mandate to the Aam Aadmi Party. But Kejriwal and the AAP stand exposed today. There is no development; there is no care for the people; and whatever announcements and promises were made by Arvind Kejriwal, none has been fulfilled. On the other side, the people of Delhi have seen the pro-development face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they have also witnessed how well our double-engine government is working, be it in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, or Uttar Pradesh.
You spoke about the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. The AAP says the BJP has failed to project a chief ministerial face while it has Arvind Kejriwal.
Who the chief ministerial face is, is not very important. There was no Chief Minister candidate in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, or Madhya Pradesh. The BJP is a cadre-based party. All of us work for the party. There is a process, and the central leadership brings the right person at the right place. So, by raising this question, the AAP is only making its own desperation known. It knows it is going to lose the election and is trying to divert focus from the issues that matter.
What are going to be the decisive issues this election?
The people of Delhi have seen the gross misrule of Arvind Kejriwal in the past 10 years. His non-performance is certainly going to be the key point for the voters. Naturally, the people will weigh the option of the BJP. The choice is very clear as to who [comes] after Arvind Kejriwal. It is none other than the BJP.
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Can it be a triangular fight? The Congress is also in the fray.
I don’t think there will be a triangular fight because we have seen the Congress diminish like anything. We have to remember it was the largest political party that ruled India for more than 60 years. Unfortunately, today if they want to contest an election in any State, they have to take shelter under State parties. So, it will be a direct fight between the BJP and the AAP in Delhi.
The BJP has in the past described the AAP’s welfare schemes as revdis (freebies). But the Prime Minister announced recently that none of the schemes would be rolled back. Why this change of stance?
We have to understand what is revdi. Prime Minister Modi is continuing with the scheme to give free ration to more than 80 crore people. The scheme is being successfully implemented across the country, including Delhi. But before making such an announcement, the government of India led by Prime Minister Modi made sufficient provisions for it in the Budget. We all know India is a welfare state. We have to take care of the people who do not have adequate means.
On the other hand, if you make tall promises only to win an election, knowing that the exchequer doesn’t have sufficient funds, it is a “revdi”. This is what Arvind Kejriwal is doing.
As in other BJP-ruled States, where you have cash transfer schemes for women, will the BJP announce something similar in Delhi? The AAP has already announced Rs.2,100 a month for women.
For that, you will have to wait for our Sankalp Patra [manifesto], which will be released very soon. Certainly, the Sankalp Patra will be followed by the BJP government in Delhi.
How do you look at the allegation made by the AAP that a large number of voters have been deleted from the voters list in Delhi?
We must understand that there is a clearly defined procedure with regard to updating the voters list in the election process. Who can be the voter? Certainly, infiltrators or people who have double votes or those who do not exist have to be removed from the list. This is exactly what the Election Commission is doing.
Since the BJP is raising the issue of “Sheesh Mahal”, the allegedly ostentatious renovations made by Arvind Kejriwal at the Chief Minister’s residence, the AAP has hit back by asking about Modi’s “Rajmahal”.
There is a great difference. As far as the Prime Minister’s house is concerned, Narendra Modiji is not the first person to assume that office. I can say nothing new has been added to that house. The question is why they are saying this. Because the blatant truth of Sheesh Mahal has become known to the people of Delhi. When there was no development in Delhi, no new college, no new school, no new flyover, no new road, Arvind Kejriwal equipped his house with all kinds of luxury. They want to divert the attention of the people from the Sheesh Mahal.
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The BJP has in the past spoken about the need for full statehood for Delhi. But in recent years, the BJP has been silent on this matter. In this election, what is going to be the BJP’s stand on this issue?
For this, you will have to wait for our Sankalp Patra.
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