'Cong can't be written off'

Congress candidate Brahm Yadav is contesting elections from Rajendra Nagar constituency for the first time. But the politician is not new to the field.

The February 7 polls will mark the veteran Congressman’s comeback to electoral politics after a gap of 10 years.

The 55-year-old politician, a resident of Todapur, tells Rahul Chhabra that he is confident of winning the elections irrespective of the fact that the Congress passed through a bad patch recently.

Do you think your party can make it?

The Congress was never out. It was due to anti-incumbency and factors like alleged corruption that our party had to suffer in the Lok Sabha elections.

The people vented their anger. Now they have seen the work of the BJP and the AAP and they are not liking it. The Congress is back on track to serve the people. There is no government without Congress.

Do you think that people will vote for you?

Yes, for sure. People here respect and support me because the last MLA from the BJP has done nothing.

This is the time to work day and night for all Congress workers.
The Congress is not leaving any stone unturned. All party leaders and workers are united and working hard. There is no infighting in the party like others.

What are you promising to the people?

People know me. In Todapur and Dasghara, I worked for the removal of Chulha tax imposed in the British-era. I am also working on the issue of water problem.

What are the issues that the previous legislator from the BJP R P Singh overlooked in your constituency?

Highlighting his so-called accessibility the previous MLA floated this slogan last year ‘24 ghante 7 din, R P Singh, RP Singh’. But he is hardly among the people.

Due to this people in my area pasted posters on the “missing” legislator. The previous legislator is not available to listen to the problems of even his party workers.

What is your campaigning strategy?

We are going from door to door, talking to people and discussing with them their problems.

Do you think bringing Kiran Bedi in BJP and projecting her as the CM candidate is a masterstroke by the saffron party?

No. Kiran Bedi is just a retired police officer and an opportunist.
She does not have any experience in politics. Because of her entry into the BJP, the party’s graph has gone down. Also, infighting has also increased in their party which is ultimately beneficial to us.

What do think about the challenge from the Aam Adami Party?

The AAP misled people and distracted their minds from the key issues. No work was done by the AAP government, rather they played with the trust of the people.

You are coming back to electoral politics after a stint in the central leadership? How will you manage to win? 

I was always in politics and in 1998 I contested the elections as an independent candidate but lost to BJP’S Puran Chand Tyagi by a thin margin. At present, the Congress is going through difficult times it need a reliable candidate like me who can help the party bounce back.

What did you do in the mean time?

I am a social worker. I was appointed to the agricultural marketing board and also served as a member of the All India Congress Committee.

Do you think the Narendra Modi-wave is a challenge for your party?
There is no ‘Modi-wave’ in Delhi.