Though AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge is not contesting from his home district, this election is being termed as a contest between the Congress veteran and the BJP.
You are being projected by opposition parties as a non-performer, and have done nothing for the people of Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency in the past five years. What do you say?
Opposition parties, especially the Congress, are under the illusion that if they tell an untruth 100 times, people will believe it. But people are wise enough to judge between truth and falsehood. For example, Congress leaders, including district minister Priyank Kharge, are saying that the Vande Bharat running between Kalaburagi and Bengaluru, which started last month, stopped running within a week. People know it hasn’t stopped, but is running six days a week.
What are your major contributions in the past five years?
Because of continued pressure on the Central government, it has announced establishment of a Mega Textile Park on over 1,000 acres of land near Kalaburagi. The Prime Minister has already launched the project. Once it starts functioning, it will provide direct jobs to 1 lakh people, and indirect jobs to 2 lakh people. Do you think it is a small task? Mallikarjun Kharge was MP for two terms and also Railway minister, he couldn’t start a direct train from Kalaburagi to Bengaluru. But Vande Bharat started running between Kalaburagi and Bengaluru.
What you have to say about allegations against the Union government?
It is my open invitation to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, whom I defeated in the last election, or to my present opponent Radhakrishna Doddamani, to come for an open debate on what my government has done in the past 10 years, what their government had done in the last 50 years and what I have done in the past five years. If they accept my invitation, it will become clear.
Do you think the poll is between Kharge and PM Narendra Modi, or Kharge and Dr Umesh Jadhav, though Mallikarjun Kharge is not contesting?
No. The election is between Dr Umesh Jadhav and Kalaburagi district in-charge minister Priyank Kharge, who has taken the lead in criticizing me, saying lies about me.
How confident are you about winning?
No doubt. People’s love towards PM Narendra Modi and their desire to see him again as Prime Minister and my work in the constituency will help me win the election.