On February 8, the results of the Delhi elections were announced and with that, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s vanvaas of 27 years in the national capital ended. Lok Sabha MP and BJP’s in-charge for the polls Baijayant Panda had a candid conversation with Organiser’s Senior Assitant Editor Nishant Kumar Azad on the party’s poll promises for the Union Territory, next Chief Minister of Delhi, CAG report on Aam Aadmi Party, and much more. Excerpts:
Before the election results, you were quite confident that the BJP would emerge a winner So, how do you analyse this victory?
We got this landslide victory mainly because of people’s immense faith in Prime Minister Modi, his assurances, and his guarantee. The BJP’s manifesto contains over 250 promises, and people know that with Modi Ji’s guarantee, they will be implemented.
Other than that, we had a few other reasons. Our top senior leadership, namely National President JP Nadda,Home Minister Amit Shah, provided strategic guidance and support. And, of course, the immense hard work of our karyakartas, who worked day and night, as just like the people of Delhi, they were also fed up with this ‘AAP-da’—the abuse of power, fake promises, and corruption.
What will be the top priorities for Delhiites?
Our track record at the national level and in various states clearly shows that all of our manifesto promises get implemented, with around 99 per cent fulfillment in most cases. We have five years to implement all these promises. But our track record shows that in the very first Cabinet meeting itself, several of these promises will get approved.
Now, there are many important promises—commitments for financial assistance to women, cleaning up of Yamuna, which has been given very high priority by the Prime Minister himself, health sector reforms, and improvements in public transport, including new addition of electric buses for DTC in large numbers.
Atishi Marlena, after the election results, said that she would see how BJP delivers on this promise of giving Rs 2500 and, she wants it to be implemented in the first month. How do you see this pressure politics?
The same people who misled the people of Delhi and Punjab with false financial assistance promises are the ones involved in huge frauds—the liquor scam, classroom scam, Delhi Jal Board scam, Mohalla Clinic scam—amounting to Rs 2000 crores as per the CAG report. They have no moral authority and certainly no legal authority to set any timelines for us. I can assure you all these promises will be fulfilled.
During his victory speech at the BJP headquarters, the PM said that the CAG report will be tabled in the first meeting of the Assembly. A section of the media and Opposition politicians are calling it vendetta politics. How do you see these allegations?
This is a strange allegation. The CAG report has exposed scams of over Rs 2,000 crore. Presenting it in the Assembly is our duty—how can this be vendetta?
AAP never presented the CAG report in the Assembly, which they were constitutionally required to do. By delaying the submission of the CAG report, they cannot brush corruption under the carpet. People know the truth. If any journalist claims that presenting the CAG report in the Assembly and taking action against corruption is a vendetta, it means they are paid activists, not journalists.
After more than 10 years, AAP is out of power. Can we say that this is the end of NGO-based politics?
AAP-da was a disaster in Delhi and continues to be a disaster for Punjab. It dragged Delhi into a terrible situation with all the scams and no development. For at least a decade, Delhi has not seen any development. It does not look like the capital of the world’s fifth-largest economy. While India has doubled its airports, more than doubled metro line kilometers, and built the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, Delhi has fallen behind in all these areas.
This ‘AAPda’ has been the nerve centre of ‘Urban Naxalism,’ which aims to disrupt the country and stop its growth. We have seen recent exposés in the West, where international activist organisations have funnelled money into Indian activist groups, which then used it for political purposes rather than charitable or social upliftment. They have been using it to create anarchy. This will stop now.
AAP is known for its confrontation politics. Will it allow BJP Government to function smoothly?
See, most of AAP’s top leaders have spent long months in jail. The fact that they didn’t get bail quickly indicates that there is prima facie evidence and a money trail. They are master scamsters who are now giving themselves a clean chit just because they got bail. But the trial has yet to commence, and they will be held accountable.
BJP’s Government in Delhi is committed to clean governance. As the PM said, the money looted must be returned. They cannot just escape after looting and losing power. That era of drama is over. People of Delhi were fooled once, twice, thrice. But now they have realised the truth and given a solid answer. There is no scope for further drama—they will be held accountable.
In your last interview with Organiser, you spoke about the Urban Naxal-style politics of AAP and even the PM talked about Deep State. Now that BJP is in power in Delhi, will these linkages be exposed?
This is already happening. Many anti-national groups that used to receive international funding have now been exposed. Even in the United States, audits are revealing how their taxpayers money was misused for activism rather than aid. Globally, organisations linked to controversial figures like George Soros have been disrupting systems. Their tactics of funding radical prosecutors and releasing criminals are causing crime surges in the West. They tried similar disruptions in India, but now that they have been exposed, they will not get away with it.
BJP had vocally raised the issue of illegal immigrants. Now, we are seeing how the new American Government is dealing with illegal immigration. So, in the coming future, will we see strong action against illegal immigrants in the national capital?
Any nation, to thrive and survive, needs proper control of its borders. We have seen repeated violations of our borders through illegal immigration.
Illegal immigration does not just affect our demographics; it also affects our economy. You mentioned America—recently, we have seen the new US Government cracking down heavily on illegal border crossings.
Similar issues exist in Europe and other countries. However, encouraging mass illegal immigration and then converting these people into illegal voters is a typical tactic of Leftists because their vote bank politics thrives on it. And that is not good for the country. We have seen examples where the AAP Government in Delhi refused to take central Government money for Ayushman Bharat—the world’s largest health safety net—but at the same time, they were giving financial aid to illegal immigrants.
Many media interviews have surfaced where illegal immigrants openly admitted that the Delhi government, the ‘AAP-da’ Government, was providing them with financial assistance. Meanwhile, Indian citizens were denied their rightful benefits.
This hypocrisy will no longer work. That phase is over.
A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court demanding that Rohingyas and Bangladeshis be given education rights and access to necessities. How do you see this development?
Look, this country was partitioned—first into two, and then we have had further Partitions on certain grounds. Now, people from these partitioned countries are trying to come to India.
For what reason? Is it persecution? No. The people coming here are not minorities in their own countries. The actual minorities there— Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists—are the ones facing persecution.
These minorities in neighbouring countries are truly being persecuted, and Bharat has an obligation towards them, which has existed since our Independence and partition days. That is a different matter.
But those who are constitutionally a majority in their own country and are coming here simply because they have destroyed their own country’s economy and now want to take advantage of India’s economic growth—this is not acceptable.
India’s first responsibility is to its citizens. Our principle is Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas—irrespective of caste, creed, or religion. But it is meant for Indian citizens. That is the defining Lakshman Rekha that must be obeyed.
Who will become the Chief Minister of Delhi?
BJP is the world’s largest party and the most democratic. Anyone can rise to the top—you don’t need special connections. Modi Ji himself came from a humble background and is now a historic third-term Prime Minister.
Similarly, in Odisha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and many other states, we have seen examples of capable leaders emerging. The decision will be taken by our highest national body—the Parliamentary Board—and the Legislative Party meeting. Whoever is chosen as the leader will be a good one and will start implementing the manifesto from Day 1.
