Ahead of the polls scheduled to be held on February 14, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami speaks exclusively to Outlook on a wide range of election-related issues.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami says that the Congress is fighting against its own people in the ensuing state assembly elections. He also claims that the BJP will return to power with more than 60 seats in the 70-member assembly in the hilly state. Ahead of the polls scheduled to be held on February 14, Chief minister Dhami speaks exclusively to Atul Bartariya on a wide range of election-related issues.
(Edited excerpts)
The BJP has made all preparations for the polls. Workers right up to the booth level have been assigned responsibility. Our organisation is taking the achievements of our government to the people apprising them that the BJP alone can work in the best the interests of Uttarakhand.
In Uttarakhand, our double-engine government has done immense work in every field. A lot of things have been done in the road and aviation sectors. Prime minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of schemes worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The BJP government has worked solely in the interest of the people of Uttarakhand in the past five years. It has connected every section with mainstream society. This election is going to be fought over the achievements of the BJP government and the old deeds of the previous Congress regime.
You cannot call it a rebellion. Actually, every seat has several claimants. It has happened because of the love and affection of the people for our party. But the ticket can be given to only one candidate. We have talked to those who have not been able to get tickets. It is being explained that the BJP is coming back to power. Soon, everyone will work for the BJP only.
The BJP is a cadre-based party where the worker is the most important functionary. If someone wants to become something else, then there is no place for such people in our party. It is, after all, run by the workers and not by the leaders.
AAP is different in its behaviour and character. This party pops up only during elections and then disappears. The people of Uttarakhand are not going to give any importance to such a party. It is not going to make any difference to the prospects of BJP whether AAP contests or not.
Gairsain is definitely an issue related to public sentiments. Keeping this in mind, the BJP government had declared that it would be made the summer capital. It has already has done a lot of work to make it a reality. After returning to the government, BJP is going to do more for Gairsain.
As Trivendra ji has also said, he wants to work for the party across the state. The party high command also intends to make the most of the capabilities of Trivendra ji in such a way that the entire state gets benefited. Trivendra ji is working across the state for the victory of BJP candidates.
Congress is not a challenge for the BJP in this election. The Congressmen are only fighting amongst themselves over the distribution of party tickets. The Congress is being challenged from within the Congress itself. In such a situation, what challenges can the Congress party pose to the BJP this time?
This time, the BJP has given a slogan of saath paar (above 60). Every worker of the party is working hard to achieve this target. When the results will be out on March 10, you will see how brilliantly the BJP has done it in the state.