People in Delhi want change: JP Nadda

The president of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Union health minister Jagat Prakash Nadda is confident that the party’s governance model will oust the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from Delhi. Corruption, administrative lapses and a lack of basic amenities in the national capital, he said, are the reasons why Delhiites want a change and are in favour of the BJP.

Nadda, whose term as the party chief is nearing its end, spoke to HT on how the party’s governance model balances sops with empowerment.

Edited excerpts:

How confident is the BJP of breaking the 27-year jinx of not being able to win Delhi.

The BJP’s organisational capacity has increased manifold in the past few years; we have the capability to get the votes transferred (to the BJP). People in Delhi have seen the governance model of the NDA and the non-governance model of the AAP. They are now hoping for a government that works for them; and in collaboration and synchronisation with the central government. People are now interested in a double-engine sarkar (BJP at the Centre and as well as state).

Health facilities and infrastructure are inadequate, and it would not be wrong to say ‘Dilli Koodadan Ban Gayee Hai (Delhi has become a dustbin)’. People have faith in the governance model of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.

There seems to be a perception that the Centre does not cooperate with the state governments led by non-NDA parties.

This is a baseless allegation; we cooperate with even those state governments where the BJP is in the Opposition. Take the example of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, or West Bengal…where has there been any instance of the Centre holding back? In Delhi, the Delhi Metro comes under the Centre. We ensured that 135 new stations were built, and the western and eastern peripheral roads were constructed. We have never given stepmotherly treatment to anyone. Only a bad craftsman blames his tools.

Opposition-ruled states complain that governors or lieutenant governors interfere in daily governance.

Governors are the representative of the President of India. They have to see whether the government is functioning under constitutional parameters. If you do not do so, the governor will have to point it out.

There was a time when the BJP criticised the freebie culture. You have promised ₹2,500 for every woman in Delhi, in addition to free power. Has the election become a battle of subsidies?

What we are offering are not freebies but means of empowerment for those who need them. If we are giving facilities for health, who are we giving it to: to those who need it and do not have the spending power. If we are giving Rs10 lakh as life insurance, it is for those engaged in blue-collar jobs. The SVANidhi Yojna (financial support to street vendors) is not for people who are well-to-do, it is an initiative to help hawkers earn their livelihood and scale up their business.

PM Modi and other BJP leaders have consistently said that sops and freebies in Delhi will continue if the BJP comes to power. Where will this money come from? Is this tacit approval for the AAP’s schemes?

A government, if run well, can focus on development as well as empowerment. In the past 10 years, the Modi government has done exactly this. We ran the ‘swachhta abhiyan (cleanliness drive)’, and 12 crore toilets were built. Until this day, we are giving free ration to 80 crore people... has any project derailed or suffered? Projects and schemes are stalled because of corruption and non-delivery. We are delivering; therefore, governance is a big issue. Take the case of Mohalla Clinics run by the AAP: there is misappropriation of as much as ₹300 crore. There is misappropriation of funds in the Delhi Jal Board to the tune of ₹28,000 crore, no audits were done. In any case, Delhi gets a lot of funding from the Government of India, the state government’s mandate is to utilise it properly.

Besides, we do not start on a negative note, what is going on (being given) will continue (to be given) because people are used to certain things... so, we will continue it. But at the same time, we will ensure that their empowerment is also being done.

What are the real issues in this election?

People are looking for clean and good roads, good infrastructure, and for Delhi to shine as the national capital. They want basic amenities; they don’t want to rely on the tanker mafia for water. Similarly, people living in societies have different demands but overall, everybody wants a clean Delhi with a governance model that will show that a government is in place and running the show.

You spoke about clean Delhi. The Capital is among the world’s most polluted cities, with severely poor air quality and contaminated water. Yet, political parties seem to pay lip service to these pressing issues.

We are committed to a pollution-free Delhi, a clean Yamuna, and clean roads in the city. There has to be better waste management, and we will pay attention to that. We should become self-sustainable, and all this depends only on the intention of the government. The moment you start good governance, things begin to fall in place.

I was the environment minister in Himachal Pradesh when we took the decision to ban plastic. The state was the first to impose the ban...we gave eight months to people to stop using plastics. When you go into the finer details, you find ways.

In the last 10 years, we have been able to reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure on health. Quality of life has gone up, incidence and mortality from tuberculosis have gone down. When you don’t govern, you get into a blame game... this (pollution) is coming from Haryana, this is coming from Uttar Pradesh and so on.

Arvind Kejriwal has levelled allegations that the BJP offered money to voters in JJ clusters to vote from home and accused the BJP of intimidating his party workers.

Those who sense defeat are the ones who go complaining to the umpire. This is a clear indication that Arvind Kejriwal has realised that he has lost the game. He has understood that the vote bank that he was relying on is angry with him, and is now supporting the BJP.

The BJP traditionally does not announce the chief ministerial candidate. But electoral battles in Delhi have been a contest where faces matter; will the BJP face a challenge by going without a face?

No, in many states, the party has come to power without having a chief ministerial candidate. The votes are cast in favour of the BJP, the lotus (party symbol) and Modi ji’s leadership. This will not be an issue; the BJP is putting up a good fight under the leadership of PM Modi and will form the government.

The Union Budget was read as an olive branch to the middle class that was moving away from the party. The Opposition said announcements that were made with regard to Bihar in the budget are the BJP’s election pitch.

Why just the middle class, we are committed to Sabka Saath, Sabha Vikas, Sabka Vishwas. When Modi ji took over in 2014, the tax exemption limit was just ₹2.5 lakh, we raised it to ₹7 lakh. There are various priorities for a government at different times, and this was the time to address it. And this has not been done with an eye on electoral gains in Delhi, because the date for the election was not decided; but we have a fixed date for the presentation of the budget.

How are the ties among the NDA allies?

We are very comfortable with the allies. We are working together, and running stable governments whether it is in Bihar with the JD(U) or in Andhra Pradesh with the TDP or the Mahayuti in Maharashtra.

...Is there room for more allies, particularly those who exited the NDA.

Those who want to join are welcome, we are not opposed to it, but they will have to align with our ideological programme.

What about Tamil Nadu, where elections are next year? Will the AIADMK and BJP ally?

We will take a call on the issue based on the suggestions from our state leaders. We did not break that alliance; they are the ones who went away.

The party will soon have a new president and office-bearers, but there is criticism that the BJP has not paid adequate attention to grooming second-rung leaders.

It is a continuous process… in some states, it is faster, while it takes more time in some others. This process takes place only in the BJP; look at the other parties, you will still find leaders well into their 80s. The BJP is the only party that has been able to take a call that district presidents will be under the age of 45 and office-bearers under 55. We have an organisational structure and leaders go through the paces.

How do you look at your tenure as the party president. What will be your legacy?

I don’t see my tenure as president because I think it’s a continuous process. I am also one of the presidents... the party works together and under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi it has provided the best service to humanity and to the nation. The party has been instrumental in translating the policies and programmes at the grassroots level and helped them reach saturation.

The BJP’s ideological fount, the RSS, is turning 100. How is the mentor-mentee relationship evolving?

It has always been good and will continue to be. It (speculation of differences) was only created by the media.