In an exclusive conversation with IANS, the BJP’s state president said that the party is set to bag all 80 Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh.
Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary also asserted that the Opposition’s attempt to divide the electorate on lines of caste and community will fall flat on its face.
Here are excerpts:
IANS: There were talks of caste divide in the first and second phases of elections. How much has this affected the subsequent phases?
Bhupendra Singh: These people (Opposition) have politicised the caste issue. They have made a deliberate effort to drive a wedge between the residents of North and South India on the lines of caste, community and language.
The public is aware now. BJP is moving forward with the slogan ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’. When the results come out, they will be fully exposed.
IANS: Four phases of the elections are completed. How many seats do you expect the BJP to win?
Bhupendra Singh: Elections for 39 seats in Uttar Pradesh are over and three phases are left. According to the feedback we are receiving from the ground level, the BJP is winning 39 seats, and we are winning by a huge margin. People have firm faith in the leadership of PM Modi and CM Yogi.
IANS: The opposition is saying that if the BJP crosses the 400 mark, then it will change the constitution. What is your response?
Bhupendra Singh: BJP has been in power at the Centre for a decade. Our party has the most MPs from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and backward communities. The organisation also has the most people from these communities. The Prime Minister is also from a backward community. Would we abolish our own reservation?
This is a conspiracy by Congress, they have always tried to implement reservations on a religion basis. Wherever they have been in power, they have included Muslims in the backward classes and hijacked reservations. They are misleading people by creating a negative atmosphere.
IANS: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav is claiming a win on 79 seats, and the fight is only on one seat. What do you think?
Bhupendra Singh: Everyone has a right to dream and Akhilesh Yadav is always day-dreaming. He claimed to win all the seats in 2022. Since he took over the party’s leadership, they haven’t won a single election. Meanwhile, the BJP is going to win all the seats in these elections.
IANS: Kejriwal claims that if BJP wins, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will become the PM and Yogi Adityanath will be removed from CM’s post. What do you have to say about this?
Bhupendra Singh: He might be talking about himself. Given the large-scale corruption he is involved in, he will have to go to jail, even though he is saved for now. In future, he will have to resign. Another state is set to walk in the footsteps of Rabri Devi.
BJP is contesting the elections under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. There is no such rule in the party that a leader has to resign after he turns 75. Narendra Modi will remain our Prime Minister till 2029. After that, we will accept whatever the public decides.
IANS: Congress claims to distribute 10 kg of foodgrains after forming the government. How do you see this?
Bhupendra Singh: What was Congress doing for the past 70 years? Maximum scams occurred during the tenures of SP and Congress. The poor never got the ration, all of that was eaten up by agents of Congress and SP. Everyone knows about their corrupt tenures. Under the PM’s leadership, the poor are getting free rations today.
IANS: How beneficial has the alliance with parties like Apna Dal, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) been for BJP?
Bhupendra Singh: BJP is a party with a clear goal and clean ideology. We are concerned about roads, water and electricity. People above 70 years are getting free medical treatment, and electricity is available 24 hours. In the previous governments, there was discrimination in electricity distribution, as it was only available in a few VIP areas. This discrimination has ended. We have taken along those who agree with our ideology.
IANS