‘No conflict between me and Raje, party is united’
BJP state president Satish Poonia said that there is no conflict between him and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. In an interview with Jaykishan
Sharma on Tuesday, Poonia claimed that their party is united and has begun preparations for bypolls to be held soon for four assembly seats. Edited excerpts:
You have been giving different statements on Vasundhara Raje’s role in the state. Is everything cordial between you and former CM?
Our party doesn’t run on statements. The social media creates divides. There is no conflict between me and Raje. She is our national vice-president. This is true that role of senior leaders is decided by the central leadership. Even the Congress had to remove its state president and a few ministers (during the political crisis in July year). Being the BJP president in the state, it is my role to keep everybody together.
Political observers say that your party is divided into different factions. Is it true?
There is no difference between leaders in our state. This is a positive side that we have many leaders. Earlier, people used to say that we don’t have good leaders in the state.
Why your party was not able to perform well in the local body elections?
The local body election results always come in the favour of the ruling party. When the Congress was in the opposition, they had secured 25 seats and we won 39 seats. Out of 48 municipal bodies where the Congress succeeded in forming boards a couple of days ago, the ruling party had lead only in 19. They formed boards in the rest of the municipal bodies with the help of independents. The mandate is against the state government. For the first time in the history of Rajasthan, out of 21 zila parishads, they were ahead of us only in five. It is big failure of the state government.
Fuel and electricity prices are at a high. The BJP has not been able to launch big agitation of the people against government?
On year went in vain because of the Covid pandemic, but still we raised the issue of hike in electricity prices. The state government started accusing us of violating Covid norms. Being a responsible party, we thought that it is not responsible to gather in large numbers. Still, hundreds of cases were registered against our party leaders. After restrictions are lifted, we have planned big agitations against the government on the issues of inflation, deteriorating law and order, and atrocities against women, among others.
What are your preparations for the bypolls to four assembly seats?
Trend indicates that the bypoll results generally come in favour of the ruling party, but this time there is an anti-incumbency against the government. Our senior leaders are working at the grassroots and have started booth management. I have also visited the seats. In future, two senior leaders will be deputed in every seat. Our organisational strength is better than the Congress.
What is your party’s strategy to take on the government in the budget session?
We will raise the issues of farm loan waiver, corruption and deteriorating law and order n the state, among others. For the first time, 580,000 cases have been registered in the state, which shows rising crime, especially atrocities against women. A few days ago two innocents were killed in a gang war in Churu. The Congress had promised loan waiver for 6.9 million farmers, but nothing has happened. BJP legislators have also prepared details of local problems and failures of the government.