BJP has been continuously surprising everyone with its actions. The same happened in the case of Uttar Pradesh also. It seemed here that BJP would give a chance to a big leader as its president. The Bharatiya Janata Party has given new responsibility to Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh as its President in Uttar Pradesh. He has been elected as the 15th President of Uttar Pradesh BJP. Singh has been working for BJP in UP since 1991. He has worked as a Cabinet Minister of Panchayati Raj in the Government of Uttar Pradesh. Singh maintains a stronghold in western UP. Despite the farmers’ agitation, from here he got the BJP victory in the assembly elections. Apart from this, Singh also contested the Lok Sabha elections from Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1999. Mahendra Kumar of Organiser interviewed Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh and tried to know what would be his priority as president. How challenging this important responsibility is for him. Will there be a change in the organisation to further strengthen the party? Many important topics like preparation for the upcoming civic elections etc. have been discussed. Here are some edited excerpts.
Bhupendra Ji, you have been elected as the new BJP President of the politically important state of UP. BJP is giving chance to new people. What do you have to say about this?
Certainly, people working from the ground level in BJP have been getting important responsibility. This is not possible for other parties. There are many possibilities for workers in BJP. All posts in BJP are for workers. It is a matter of good fortune for me that I have got a chance to work as the President in the most important state of the country politically. I come from a very simple family. No one in my family is into politics. The Prime Ministers of the country Shri Narendra Modi Ji, JP Nadda Ji, Amit Shah Ji, and Yogi Ji have given me a chance. That’s why I thank them. And assure you that I will work to further strengthen BJP in UP. I will take everyone along.
You have been elected as the President. What kind of joyful movement at your family and your supporters?
It was a very happy day for my family and friends and my supporters. Colleagues from my organisation who have worked with me for a long time. I am 33-year-old worker of BJP. I have worked in many different positions. The people working with me are today ministers in the Government. Some people are working in the organisation. All these people are very happy that I am the President. There is enthusiasm in everyone’s mind when the worker amongst themselves gets an important responsibility like the state president. It is a matter of great pride for my home, family, and society.
BJP should not be divided into any class, caste or region. BJP is strong all over the country. The party workers are strong in all the booths in the country. Everyone has faith in Modi Ji. People are accepting our work.
You are said to have a stronghold in Western UP. Despite the farmers’ agitation, you got the BJP victory in the assembly elections from here. Have you been given this important responsibility for this?
I am a party worker, working for the party for a long time. I have been working in Western UP for a very long time. I have been with the organisation’s campaigns and made them popular among the people. We have worked to take many schemes of the Central Government and Uttar Pradesh Government to the people. I believe in taking all sections of society along. Apart from western UP, I have got the support of the people of the entire state from time to time. Now the BJP should not be divided into any class, caste, or region. BJP is strong all over the country. The party workers are strong in all the booths in the country. Everyone has faith in Modi Ji. People are accepting our work.
You have served as a minister in the UP government 2 times. How is the experience of working with Yogi Ji?
It is a matter of pride for me to work with Yogi Ji. His thinking is vast. His priority is the development of the poor. Many development works have been done in UP in the last 5 years under the leadership of Yogi ji. In these years, UP has completely changed. The things which seemed impossible were done by Modi ji in the country and Yogi ji in UP. There was a lot of electricity problem in UP. It seemed that the farmers, the poor, would never get electricity. At that time the news was made in the newspapers when there was electricity. Yogi ji has taken very effective steps on all these subjects. Very good work has been done for the development of UP. Like electricity, roads, hospitals, education, tourism, water, and security, works were done against anarchy. UP was known for mafia. Now mafia are running here and there to save their lives. It is a result of this that today there is better law and order in Uttar Pradesh. The picture of a better UP is in front of us. Under the guidance of Yogi ji, I was able to do the work of my ministry, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj very well.
Bhupendra Ji Yogi Ji came in the programme of Panchjanya and Organiser in June. He said in programme that BJP will win all 80 seats in UP in 2024. What do you have to say about this?
I believe that two issues remain important in the election of the BJP. We fight elections based on our organisation’s workers. We do service work through our organisation. Not only in UP, BJP has a team at booths all over the country. We will move forward based on the hard work and activism of the workers. The top leadership of our party is very strong. The people of the country have faith in the top leadership. People believe that if Modi ji is there then it is possible. We lost 16 Lok Sabha seats in UP in 2019. But when the by-election was held, we won our two seats Azamgarh and Rampur. BJP does not have 14 Lok Sabha seats in UP. Our goal is to win back all these 14 seats and all 64 seats where BJP has won in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Will take the works of the state and central government in front of the public. We will win all 80 Lok Sabha seats through state and central leadership.
Your first Lok Sabha election was from Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1999. How did you agree to contest the election in front of Mulayam Singh? How much has changed in the position of BJP in UP then and now?
At that time, I was the district president of BJP. At that time, I contested that election from Sambhal Lok Sabha in age of 32. It used to be a part of Moradabad district. I was new in politics at that time. All the karyakartas made me contest the elections in a planned manner and I got more than 1, 50000 votes in the election. I had lost the election to Mulayam Singh but this election gave me a chance to move forward. Now BJP is strong in the whole country but it is strongest in UP. Today’s era is the era of BJP, Modi ji, and Yogi Ji.
You often say that the organisation is bigger than the Government?
I believe that the organisation is bigger than the Government. The Government is formed on the basis of the hard work of the organisation. We took a resolution in 1951 that Article 370 should be removed from Jammu and Kashmir. At that time there was no BJP Government. We took a resolution in the Palampur session in 1988 that if the BJP Government comes to the centre, then a grand Ram temple will be built. Now the Government has fulfilled the resolution of the organisation. Whatever resolution the organisation makes in its election manifesto, the entire government does them.
We took a resolution in 1951 that Article 370 should be removed from Jammu and Kashmir. At that time there was no BJP Government. We took a resolution in the Palampur session in 1988 that if the BJP Government comes to the centre, then a grand Ram temple will be built. Now the Government has fulfilled the resolution of the organisation.
The key question is what will be your priority as president? What steps are you going to take to further strengthen the party?
Taking all the workers along with the central and state Government schemes from door to door is the first task. The party aims to connect different sections of society through service-related works. Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation election is also my priority the election is about to be held in the next few months.
When will you announce the new team?
The organisational team will be set up before the election of the BJP’s national president is probably to be held in February. Teams will be prepared from ward to state.
BJP is a one-person, one-position party. But now some ministers are working in any post in UP BJP also. What do you have to say about this?
The party is considering the ministers who are in the organisation’s post. The principle of one person one post shall be followed. There will be a new system very soon.
