South Delhi candidates share poll plan
Banking on support for PM Modi and a clean political record, Bidhuri dismisses the possibility of Kejriwal’s arrest creating sympathy for AAP
Seventy-one-year-old Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, the sitting MLA from Badarpur and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly, is a veteran in Delhi politics. He has been elected MLA four times and was a member of the first legislative assembly of Delhi in 1993. Now contesting the Lok Sabha polls from the South Delhi seat, he sat down with HT’S Paras Singh and Alok KN Mishra at his bungalow on Zakir Husain Marg to discuss his plans for the constituency. Edited excerpts:
What would be your key projects if people of South Delhi elect you?
I will expand the Metro network, develop master-plan roads and regularise 69 affluent unauthorised colonies. Traffic is a big problem in our region and we will develop a peripheral road connecting Sangam Vihar to Deoli. A Singapore university was to be developed in Jaunapur village under the Sheila Dikshit government and that project will be revived. The Mehrauli-badarpur road needs to be turned into an elevated road, and Mandi Road will be widened to 100 feet.
Six sitting MPS from BJP in Delhi have not been given a ticket. How do you see your predecessor’s work?
We have developed peripheral roads around Delhi to cut pollution, developed one of world’s largest eco parks on 800 acres in Badarpur, built the Kalindi DND highway from Badarpur, which will go up to Mumbai, brought up world-class convention centres in Pragati Maidan and Dwarka, developed the Pragati Maidan tunnel, and are developing a third ring road, with 26 flyovers, with 90% of the work completed.
How do you see your opponent from the AAP, Sahi Ram?
People know that the Modi government will be in power. They will elect the BJP candidate so that many issues linked with the central government are resolved. South Delhi voters are very intelligent.
Also, there has not been a single blemish on me in my five decades of public life, while he has several cases against him (Sahi Ram).
There is no challenge or comparison between us.
Many parts of South Delhi suffer from water shortage and scarcity. How do you plan to tackle this?
We will ensure supply is improved and good quality clean water is provided.
Is Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest generating any sympathy for the AAP?
There is no sympathy for people who engage in such massive corruption scams. They have not done any work for people to generate sympathy.
Why would people sympathise with him?
People know that the Modi government will be in power. They will elect the BJP candidate so that many issues linked with the central government are resolved. South Delhi voters are very intelligent.