‘Not the Public, It’s Congress That’s Angry’: BJP’s MP In-Charge

“We followed politics of development. All that is left is for public to acknowledge it,” says Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.

Vinay Sahasrabuddhe (right), the BJP in-charge for Madhya Pradesh.

(Photo: The Quint)

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As the Madhya Pradesh polls draw closer, the election campaign is intensifying in the state. The Congress, at least right now, seems to be campaigning more actively than the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).

However, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, the BJP in-charge for the state feels that rather than to be seen campaigning on the road, it is more important that the public acknowledges the development that the state government has done.

Speaking exclusively to The Quint, Sahasrabuddhe claimed that the BJP will definitely win the Madhya Pradesh polls, but refused to mention the number of seats that their candidates would win.

Is the BJP lagging behind in campaigning?

We take each election as a challenge and contest it honestly. We don’t believe in spending a few days in a foreign country and then coming back for a couple of days to do politics.

We take politics very seriously. Also, it’s not important that you see the campaigning on the road. Nowadays you can contest elections even on the internet. We have worked keeping in mind the politics of development. All that is left is for people to acknowledge it.

Why does the BJP always mention 2003 when questioned about work done in 15 years?

If someone says that the BJP was lucky to be elected to power thrice then I find it laughable. In 2003, we promised that we will deliver on basic needs like electricity, water and roads. We delivered on it.

In 2008, we promised that we will remove MP from the list of BIMARU states. We delivered on that too. After 2013, we focused primarily on agriculture. Apart from Gujarat, which other state has connected their rivers? Because we connected Shipra and Narmada, the ground water level has improved in the region. This has facilitated irrigation in the area.

Will the anti-incumbency factor against the BJP help the Congress?

The Congress is running an ad that says “We are angry.” But the real reason for their anger is that for 15 years people kept them out of power.

There hearts are filled with anger and despair. Public is not at all angry. The Congress is angry because voters rejected them for 15 years.

Do you think the Congress lacks the strategy to counter the BJP?

A strategy can be formed only when you have a designated leadership. They (the Congress) have given leadership to businessmen and royals. In every district or region they have a different chief ministerial candidate.

In such a scenario, they don’t have a leadership, they don’t have any policy and I don’t even want to comment on their intentions.

How many seats will the BJP win?

We are going to win this election. I don’t want to get into the arithmetic of it unless all the candidates are declared.

It would be better if the state leaders answer this question. I am merely an in-charge.

Will the rebel leaders have an impact on the BJP’s performance?

I don’t use the word ‘rebel.’ All of them are our brothers and sisters. Politics is a game aspirations, so obviously some of them were angry. So, if someone thought they deserved a ticket and filed nomination in protest of the party’s decision then we don’t consider them a ‘rebel.’

They are still our party workers. Most of them have already withdrawn their nominations. The rest of them will do the same.