Pradip Bhandari, the Founder of Jan Ki Baat, spoke to General Secretary of Uttar Pradesh for the Bhartiya Janata Party, in-charge of the Prime Minister┬Тs speeches at the rallies in the State, Svatantradev Singh. Addressing the rumours that the developmental motto of the party is lost, Mr Singh said that ┬УHindutva is vikaas.┬Ф Last time that the State of Uttar Pradesh witness development was during Kalyan Singh┬Тs BJP government. Who┬Тs actually making efforts to develop UP now, asks Mr Singh. It was under Atal Bihari Vajpayee┬Тs period that saw rural lands being connected with the mainstream through the National Highways. Loans, too, were given to the needy during Vajpaaye┬Тs Prime Ministerial era. Narendra Modi, too, will walk in the same frame as these great BJP stalwarts. When asked by the BJP hasn┬Тt yet fielded a candidate for the CM┬Тs post, Mr Singh said that waiting for the right time is important instead of listing a corrupt, dishonest, communal face (referring to Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi) for the CM┬Тs seat; ┬УRahul┬Тs government robbed the nation and Akhilesh┬Тs robbed the State.┬Ф BJP workers, unlike the BSP or SP┬Тs, work for their party and its goal of growth and development. Under SP┬Тs rule, even basic necessities like water and electricity were not able to reach rural areas- the BJP will overturn this biased approach by ensuring universal welfare schemes. Central government┬Тs schemes, Kisan Credit Card, PM BIMA Yojna, Mudra Bank, are all evidences of the BJP┬Тs willingness. When questioned about the lack of even a s ingle Muslim candidate in the list of candidates, Mr Singh said that it is the SP and the BSP that rely on vote-bank politics; ┬УSabka saath sabka vikaas is a strong motto; the benefits of our schemes affect the Hindu and Muslim alike.┬Ф
The UP Elections 2017 would prove itself as a battleground for a number of parties and for a number of reason. The poll-pound state would bear witness to the clash between 3 different, politically, ideologically as well as socially, parties: emergence of Akhilesh Yadav is one of the SP┬Тs major concerns and the recent SP-Congress tie-up reveals this anxiety; the Bahujan Samaj Party led by Mayawati hopes to redeem its political future and rid itself off of charges of corruption; the BJP, too, hopes to capture the State┬Тs seats to achieve its vision of a Congress-mukt India.
Mr Singh is partly right when he said that real growth is said to occur when the everyday concerns are being addressed efficiently: availability of gas cylinders, electricity in the farthest of regions, no price hike, being few of such concerns. These are ultimately what a developing country like India lacks and must work on. But can BJP fulfil its promises?
