Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries & Jal Shakti Pralhad Singh Patel says the BJP will repeat its 2003-like victory and take the state to a new height of peace and prosperity. The Damoh MP, who is contesting from Narsinghpur Assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, tells Rajesh Kumar Thakur that the Congress stands exposed and its return to power is almost impossible. Excerpts:
Is BJP confident of retaining power this time?
We are poised to repeat the 2003-like victory and ‘Lotus’ will bloom again. People have full faith in the double-engine government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Our government has put ‘vikas ki gaari’ in top gear and brought visible changes in the state. People understand that only a BJP government will work for the state for the next five years.
Is there a strong anti-incumbency against the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government?
There is no anti-incumbency in the state. Congress leaders, identified with corruption and cheating people, are trying to mislead people. People have seen developments during the BJP government. Only performance, not the predictions of some Congress leaders, will influence the results.
When the results are declared on December 3, a true picture will emerge, and it will be an excellent example of developmental politics heralded in the country by PM Modi. The roadmap of building Madhya Pradesh as the topmost state has been laid and works started on it.
We have spread a network of good roads across rural areas also and transformed the state which was once taunted as ‘Bimaru’ (sick). It is now a ‘bemisal’ (extraordinary) and ‘viksasheel’ (development-oriented) state.
Congress alleges the BJP lacks faces in MP, which led it to field 7 MPs, including you, in the assembly polls…
Let me be clear that Kamal Nath is going to lose the election. As far as the ‘face’ is concerned in Congress, where is the face in this party? The Congress leadership stands tired and defeated before a visionary and vibrant BJP leadership.
The Congress has turned blind in its politics of appeasement. The party believes in ‘parivarvad’ (dynastic) politics. The Congress has only two leaders — Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh. Both are defeated leaders since 2003 and have no concern for the state except believing in establishing themselves.
From our side, those who have been brought to the fray are liked and looked upon by people on the basis of their performances as ‘sevak’ of their respective areas contrary to Congress’ political babudom.
We have a second line of leaders as well. Where are the second-line leaders in Congress? The Congress should not compare its leaders with those of the BJP.
What are the key issues on which the BJP is seeking the mandate again in MP?
There is only one ideology behind our election campaign: development, dignity and the welfare of all. The BJP seeks votes for the welfare of the poor, nari sashaktikaran (women’s empowerment), rozgar aur sva-rozgar (employment and self-employment) and development with dignity. It is the BJP that has made women and girls feel empowered and excel in education.
Kamal Nath alleges that corruption has ruled the state under the BJP government. How do you counter him?
It is an irony that a leader like Kamal Nath speaks about corruption. It was he who never ventured out from his Vallabh Bhawan office in 15 months of governance in MP and never attended any government meeting. I don’t want to speak about Digvijaya Singh; he is trying to establish his son.
Speculation is rife about a change of leadership in MP if the BJP is voted back to power. Do you see yourself in the race for CM’s post?
I don’t get into such matters. The BJP wants development. Such speculation is like political daydreaming. I follow what the party asks me to do. I have fought many elections, including for the Lok Sabha from 4 places after the party asked me.
Do you think plans such as the ladli behna yojana would help the BJP in retaining power?
Garib Kalyan is one of the prime services. Had it been done only for a section, it would have been closed in December. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended it for another five years. As far as the Ladli Behan scheme is concerned, Madhya Pradesh has set an example in women’s empowerment.
No other state government has done as much work as our state government has. The BJP has served the state with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of ‘Sab ka vikas, sab ka sath and sab ka prayas’ (development with participation of all).