People will vote for us because of our govt policies: Vijender Gupta

In an exclusive interview with Anup Verma of Millennium Post, BJP MLA Vijender Gupta said that the government's policies and Narendra Modi's leadership in the last five years have ensured that the people of India will vote for the party and make sure Modi is re-elected as Prime Minister. The former Delhi BJP president said that his party is confident of getting majority votes in the upcoming polls. Excerpts:

What is your take on the recent crusade that AAP has launched, demanding full statehood for Delhi?

You see, Delhi is the only UT that has an assembly and the ability to elect its own government; separate from the Union government, as a result of the Balakrishnan Committee report.

Moreover, the question remains as to why AAP is making this an issue at this time. It seems to be politically motivated because it was never raised when parliament was in session. The timing of these statehood demands from AAP seems to be suspicious. Also, it is important to see what will come out of this statehood demand. Does it mean that Delhi should be divided?

In addition, there is also the fact the Delhi has seen development and prospered for years without having statehood status. So, I am unable to buy into the idea that the capital will be developed only if it is granted statehood.

The recent incident in Mumbai showed urban apathy in our metros. As a Delhi leader, what is your solution to urban infrastructure problems facing the capital?

Delhi's population is constantly increasing and in addition to having to build more infrastructure for this ever-increasing population, we must also focus on the maintenance work required for the upgradation of infrastructures that are already in place. Right now, so much of the infrastructure in Delhi is not being maintained properly by the municipal authorities because of continued apathy from the state government.

We cannot at any cost afford to see an incident like the one in Mumbai before we mobilise on this issue. We have to be as pro-active as possible. All agencies have to set aside their differences and come together on this issue with a plan.

Of course, we will be fighting on national issues. As residents of the capital city, voters here need to be made aware of what their Union government will be able to do for them. Moreover, it is the national elections, so we cannot sidestep this to focus on local issues. We already make it a point to address these issues during assembly elections. It is important that voters in Delhi know of the government's work on a national level, in different states over the last five years. For example, schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana and Ayushmaan Bhaarat Yojana have addressed important national issues facing citizens of the country.

How do you see the prospective alliance between Congress and AAP?

The alleged alliance between Congress and AAP will not matter to us either way. Our campaign is based on the work our government has delivered in the last five years. See, at the end of the day, the party that gets majority votes gets to stake their claim to form the government. And we are confident that we can get 51% votes in the upcoming elections regardless of this alliance. Our objective will be to let voters know of the work that has been achieved by the BJP government in the last five years.

Is the election in Delhi only going to be run in the name and face of Modi?

You see our campaign is not about the name and face of one person. It is about the work that Narendra Modi's government has managed to achieve against all odds. That has always been the basis for our campaign strategy and we are certain that voters will recognise this. In addition, we have already established such a strong voter base for our party not just across the country, but also in Delhi.

Your views on the allegations that the BJP is politicising our soldiers' sacrifices?

There is no truth to these allegations. We have never reduced ourselves to politicising the brave men and women defending us from all kinds of threats. Our argument rests on the simple fact that on certain issues, the current government is vastly different from previous administrations. It has taken measures that no other government has taken and all of it has been for the nation; the place we call our motherland.

Are you in the picture to contest from Lok Sabha seat?

It would not be right for me to comment on that. All of this comes under the purview of the central leadership of BJP. So, let's wait and see what the party leadership has to say on this matter.

This election season, is your party willing to take some tall leaders of Congress/AAP?

As of now, we are not getting in touch with any of these leaders. The question of whether they will be welcome in the party is one for the central leadership.