Expressing gratitude for bestowing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with the massive mandate, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari thanked the people of Delhi and declared that this is the victory of the ‘General Will’. In an exclusive interview to Organiser correspondent Nishant Kr Azad, Manoj Tiwari said that people in Delhi have suffered a lot because of negative politics in the last two and half years, and the time has come for positive politics based on development. Besides the MCD elections, he also spoke about future organisational strategies for a revamped Delhi BJP. Excerpts:
After the success in Uttar Pradesh and other Assembly elections, how do you look at the massive victory of BJP in the MCD election?
We made an honest attempt and the people of Delhi have accepted it. People have chosen to stand with us and voted against the negative politics of AAP. This is the victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies, the strategy made by party President Amit Shah, the hard work & dedication of our karyakartas (workers) and love of people for us.
The BJP gave tickets to new faces, denying candidature to all the sitting councillors. Was it just an electoral strategy or well calibrated policy to revamp the party at the grass roots level?
BJP has a track record of working with transparency. The party decided to bring a fresh batch of leaders and give a chance to new faces in the party. You naturally face the problem of anti-incumbency in electoral politics, especially if you are there in power for 10 years. Our only agenda is the development of Delhi.
AAP has blamed EVMs for the loss, how do you look at this?
AAP is finding an excuse for their defeat. It was the same EVMs which had given it a thumping majority with 67 out of 70 seats in Delhi Assembly. If AAP do not have faith in EVMs, then why did they participate in the electoral process? Now when Kejriwal and his party is losing the elections, he is blaming EVMs. It is time to introspect rather than blame the EVMs. Nothing is wrong with EVMs; the problem is in Kejriwal’s perception. Delhi had elected him with lot of expectations for constructive work but he failed to fulfil those. He cheated the people of Delhi. A day before elections, he threatened the people that if they did not vote for AAP they will die of Dengue and Chikungunya. What kind of politics he is doing? He was expected to work for their welfare but he threatened them.
Delhi is a happening place but during the last few years, it became a centre of negativity, thanks to Kejriwal’s non-sensical arguments. To reclaim positivity in the city, Delhiites have given this mandate to the BJP.
Do you think that the result is a referendum for AAP?
That is what people of Delhi believed, you can verify it in reactions during the campaign and social media interactions. The verdict is clear-cut referendum against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP Government. The people of Delhi have used the right to recall on Kejriwal Government by giving this mandate. He should resign from the post of Delhi Chief Minister on moral grounds. The message is loud and clear that the people of Delhi are fed-up with the negativity being spread by Kejriwal and are not going to tolerate antics by him and his party anymore.
What was the organisational strategy for the elections?
AAP indulges in discriminatory politics, so our focus was always on the positivity. We campaigned for 24X7. We tried to meet every stakeholder of the society from rich to poor to know the issues. We succeeded in convincing people about our honest work and PM Modi’s policies.
BJP has alleged that AAP creates obstacles in the functioning of the MCD. Won’t things be the same because still State Government is led by the AAP?
Obstacles were created by the AAP Government. I request Arvind Kejriwal to come forward for the development of Delhi. I will advise him to co-operate and work for the betterment of people of Delhi and fulfil the promises he has made.
Sanitation is the biggest problem of a city-State like Delhi and sanitation workers have serious issues with the functioning of MCDs. Is there any strategy to deal with this?
First four months will be crucial for us. We will have to execute what we promised to the people of Delhi along with sanitation workers. Our priority is to make Delhi garbage-free.
As per municipal reports in 2015, Delhi saw a staggering 15,867 Dengue cases—the worst in 20 years. What are the plans to fight against this trend in the future?
Our target will be the prevention of outbreak of Dengue and Chikungunya. So, we will start fogging and spraying insecticides very soon. We will make Delhi a clean, safe and better city in the next four months. It will be a hygienic and disease-free city.
Expectations are very high from the party, what is the strategy to fulfil other promises in the manifesto, especially when all the corporators are new?
Yes, it is true that expectations are very high and we need to work on that parameter. I promise that we will fulfil all the promises we have mentioned in the manifesto. In the coming week, we will sit together and make a road map for it.
What are the plans to make party strong in Delhi?
Party is already strong in Delhi, but we will work on making people aware about the schemes PM Modi started in the past and how they can get the benefits of the schemes.
This victory is in the backdrop of Naxal attack on CRPF personnel in Sukma in which we lost out 25 bravehearts. You have been mentioning about this incident again and again. What do you feel?
The series of incidents suggest that the modus operandi of the Maoists is no longer just based on Naxalism but having a direct connection with terrorists. So we need a co-ordinated strategy to fight it out once for all. They are basically opposed to development and afraid of spread of education among tribals. The attack is a result of their frustration against the development in the region by stalling infrastructure projects like the construction of roads, bridges, and schools. It’s time to analyse all the aspects of such attacks and make a tough policy to deal with it. They are a big threat to the nation. This victory is dedicated to Sukma martyrs. I also talked to the CM of Chhatisgarh Shri Raman Singh about this loss. The incident is very heart-wrenching. This is the worst attack on security forces in the State in recent years. The Government has vowed to avenge the killings. I am sure that this government at the Centre in co-ordination with the States will evolve a strategy to deal with the menace and the sacrifice of Jawan will not go in vain.
