Senior BJP leader Dr Radha Mohan Das Agrawal.
Credit.X/@AgrawalRMD
Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader Dr Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, who is in charge of the party’s election effort in Karnataka, has been busy fighting fire within the saffron camp.
Still, Dr Agrawal, a pediatrician, tells DH’s Bharath Joshi why he thinks the BJP is placed comfortably in the Congress-ruled state.
Excerpts:
How is the party prepared for this election after the humiliating defeat in the Assembly polls last year?
We knew we were losing and an assessment was done then itself. The feedback was that people not voting for us in the Assembly would vote for us in the Parliament polls. People of Karnataka saw both elections differently. Our defeat had no adverse impact on PM Modi and the work done in the last 10 years. There were organisational issues that we've sorted. Our other problems have been solved by this Congress government, which has created the path for our victory.
How is Congress helping you win?
Congress misunderstood the Assembly win as the victory of its ideology, which has turned into arrogance. This is Congress' culture; they become ruthless in power. Pro-Pakistan slogans were raised in the very Vidhana Soudha to which people elected Congress 135 MLAs. This was the first slap on the face of people who voted for Congress. Second, only Hindu temples are being levied a 10% tax. Even Aurangzeb didn't impose such a hefty jizya tax. This was the second slap. Third, one poor shopkeeper was assaulted for playing Hanuman Chalisa. What do they think about the people of Karnataka? Guarantees are not the only necessity of people. Imagine being told to be like a dog that’s fed and beaten. Do they think people are slaves? Will you give guarantees and hurt sentiments at the same time?
But between Modi Ki Guarantee vs Congress’ guarantees, what will the voter choose?
Karnataka today has a debt of Rs 5.53 lakh crore. By 2025, this will rise to Rs 7.40 lakh crore. Where's the money for the guarantees? People know very well that Congress' guarantees are only until Lok Sabha polls. They're taking from one pocket and filling another. For example, the previous BJP government gave an additional Rs 4,000 under PM-KISAN to farmers. This was stopped. Karnataka accounts for 21.18% of farmers' deaths as per NCRB data. No guarantee was given to farmers. Instead, they were pushed towards death. Ours is a warranty because we've been doing things for 10 years. Swach Bharat, Jan Dhan, PMAY, Ayushman Bharat, Jal Jeevan Mission...we didn't do these things for elections. We don't insult people by giving them doles. We've lifted 24 crore people out of multidimensional poverty.
Congress is banking on women benefitting from the guarantees. Is this a cause for concern to the BJP?
Women are being insulted. They're the smartest. They can see through intentions. If you think you can buy them with money, then you don't know Karnataka's women. What women know is that ever since the Modi government came to power, they got access to education as toilets were constructed. Women got one-third reservation in Assemblies and Lok Sabha. Women are voting for a PM who did all this.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says his surveys don’t show any Modi or Ram Mandir wave in Karnataka.
This is laughable. If there's no wave for Modi, Ram Mandir, CAA, India's global reputation, pro-poor works and so on, then there should have been a huge rush for Congress tickets. But what's the truth? They're not finding candidates. Shivakumar asked ministers to contest. In turn, their children have been fielded. At least, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge should have believed Shivakumar. But Kharge has no guts to contest polls.
Ten sitting MPs were denied tickets. Was it because of anti-incumbency?
No MP was denied the ticket because he or she couldn't win. There are surveys happening continuously on the NaMo app. We also keep asking our workers about what people are discussing. If there are better candidates than incumbents, then we'll do that. For example, Pratap Simha has done work. Still, we fielded Yaduveer Wadiyar because we want to take politics to the next level. We didn't demean Simha. The scope for him is large.
What about rebel trouble after tickets were announced?
Rebellion is the barometer of popularity. Modi's ticket means the guarantee of becoming an MP. So, naturally there'll be internal competition. I’ve visited Belagavi, Mysuru, Davangere, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru North, Bengaluru Rural, Bidar and Kalaburagi. As of today, I see no rebellion except in Shimoga. Even there, KS Eshwarappa is already campaigning for Modi. So, how is it rebellion? I’m confident he won’t contest as an Independent.
There seems to be a pattern here. Strong Hindutva faces were not considered for the posts of state party president and Leader of the Opposition. Some Hindutva proponents were also denied tickets. Is the BJP trying to promote moderates?
That’s your view. Be it Nalin Kumar Kateel, CT Ravi, Pratap Simha, Anantkumar Hegde...decisions were taken based on political evaluation and betterment. It has nothing to do with soft or hard Hindutva. If that was the case, then would Yogi Adityanath be the CM?
How is the BJP positioned with respect to the Lingayat community that seemed to have moved away during the Assembly polls?
It's true that Lingayats are our core support base. But today, not only Lingayats, but all caste groups are with us because they want to see Modi becoming PM again.
How is the BJP-JD(S) alliance working on the ground?
We've given JD(S) two seats - Kolar and Mandya. They already had a sitting MP in Hassan. Imagine what our victory margin will be in Hassan. Last time, the JD(S) got about 5.40 lakh votes and BJP more than 4 lakh votes. Congress got a few thousand votes. In Kolar, we didn't even have to convince S Muniswamy. And in Mandya, you'll soon see Sumalatha take the lead in the JD(S) campaign. She'll become a senior BJP leader. The alliance will benefit both parties. More importantly, it’ll benefit Karnataka.
There are statements being made by BJP leaders that the Congress government will fall after the Lok Sabha polls.
There are instructions from Amit Shah that we shouldn't be interested in toppling the government. If this government runs for four years, then let it.