In an interaction with Saurabh Sharma, he shares his priorities and issues that are dominating the February 7 polls. Excerpts:
You have been an MP for the last eight months. What are the issues that concern you most in your constituency and how confident is the BJP to win the Delhi state assembly polls?
What concerns me the most in my constituency are issues of drinking water, sewage, schools, hospitals, and bad conditions of roads. Another big issue is of unauthorised colonies, where the construction has taken place in an unplanned and haphazard manner making the localities very congested. We will have to provide all the facilities in the given space only which is a challenge. We will have to authorise all such colonies in order to provide them all the basic amenities.
BJP is controlling the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for the last eight years. Why is the condition of civic infrastructure still so bad?
The MCD has been facing serious shortage of funds to carry on with the important projects. In the past, at times, it could not even pay money to its employees. Severe fund shortages has hit the efficiency of the MCD. Unless we authorise the colonies we cannot generate the desired revenue. I admit that the performance of MCD has not been satisfactory.
Aam Aadmi Party has sharpened its attack on BJP over the issues of religious conversion, Trilokpuri riots, Sadhvi’s controversial remarks and made them a big poll issue. Don’t you think that these leaders have put you on the back foot in this election?
AAP has been doing this for diverting the discussions from development. The BJP as a party always believes in the development for all and this is our top most priority. As far as the issue of religious conversion is concerned, the BJP has nothing to do with those incidents. We have made our stand clear and that is why our party has proposed the anti-conversion law. Ask Arvind Kejriwal and his other leaders, would they support an anti-conversion law? They would never support this law, because AAP is getting its funds from those sources and countries that will never back Kejriwal on this bill. Sadhvi Niranjan had herself tendered an apology for her comments. I think that controversy should end there.
You are a very influential face among the people of Poorvanchal and there were some disappointments over the issue of ticket distribution. Has it anything to do with the induction of Kiran Bedi?
No. BJP workers were not at all disappointed by the induction of Kiran Bedi. There were some party workers who were expecting tickets. As a few of them did not get tickets, that is why some of them were disappointed. But now, everything is absolutely fine among the party workers.
You are campaigning for Delhi elections. On whose name you would be seeking vote - Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kiran Bedi or Manoj Tiwari?
It is a team for which Delhi will vote for on February 7. I will request Delhi voters to vote for a strong leadership which the masses can see in our honourable Prime Minister. I will ask Delhi to vote for a strong administrator and that ability can be seen in Kiran Bediji. I will also ask my people to vote for me if they think I have a clean image.
You have been an MP for the last eight months. What are the issues that concern you most in your constituency and how confident is the BJP to win the Delhi state assembly polls?
What concerns me the most in my constituency are issues of drinking water, sewage, schools, hospitals, and bad conditions of roads. Another big issue is of unauthorised colonies, where the construction has taken place in an unplanned and haphazard manner making the localities very congested. We will have to provide all the facilities in the given space only which is a challenge. We will have to authorise all such colonies in order to provide them all the basic amenities.
BJP is controlling the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for the last eight years. Why is the condition of civic infrastructure still so bad?
The MCD has been facing serious shortage of funds to carry on with the important projects. In the past, at times, it could not even pay money to its employees. Severe fund shortages has hit the efficiency of the MCD. Unless we authorise the colonies we cannot generate the desired revenue. I admit that the performance of MCD has not been satisfactory.
Aam Aadmi Party has sharpened its attack on BJP over the issues of religious conversion, Trilokpuri riots, Sadhvi’s controversial remarks and made them a big poll issue. Don’t you think that these leaders have put you on the back foot in this election?
AAP has been doing this for diverting the discussions from development. The BJP as a party always believes in the development for all and this is our top most priority. As far as the issue of religious conversion is concerned, the BJP has nothing to do with those incidents. We have made our stand clear and that is why our party has proposed the anti-conversion law. Ask Arvind Kejriwal and his other leaders, would they support an anti-conversion law? They would never support this law, because AAP is getting its funds from those sources and countries that will never back Kejriwal on this bill. Sadhvi Niranjan had herself tendered an apology for her comments. I think that controversy should end there.
You are a very influential face among the people of Poorvanchal and there were some disappointments over the issue of ticket distribution. Has it anything to do with the induction of Kiran Bedi?
No. BJP workers were not at all disappointed by the induction of Kiran Bedi. There were some party workers who were expecting tickets. As a few of them did not get tickets, that is why some of them were disappointed. But now, everything is absolutely fine among the party workers.
You are campaigning for Delhi elections. On whose name you would be seeking vote - Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kiran Bedi or Manoj Tiwari?
It is a team for which Delhi will vote for on February 7. I will request Delhi voters to vote for a strong leadership which the masses can see in our honourable Prime Minister. I will ask Delhi to vote for a strong administrator and that ability can be seen in Kiran Bediji. I will also ask my people to vote for me if they think I have a clean image.