'People of Sirsa would definitely re-elect me for the work I have done'
The Congress' MP from Sirsa, Ashok Tanwar, says that he has helped bring change in areas in his seat that had been neglected for years and that the people of Sirsa would repose faith in him and elect him as their representative again.
What do you see as the high points of your five-year term?
I’m happy that the area, which had been neglected since decades, saw record development and projects worth thousands of crores of rupees. We have had an ambitious nuclear power plant project, a number of institutes at all levels, from elementary to higher education, drinking water and public health projects, health facilities and railway projects.
Would you like to contest again? Why should people re-elect you?
It is up to the party leadership to decide on that. However, people of Sirsa would definitely re-elect me for the work I have done for the constituency (hands over booklet about his achievements).
Is your appointment as the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president is a bigger responsibility, especially when the Congress in Haryana is riddled with groupism?
I agree that it would be a challenge, but I assure you that we would work harder and the party would fare better than in the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections. I do not really see any groupism in the Congress. There could be mat-bhed (difference of opinion) but there is no man-bhed (dissension). I am confident that if there are any differences of opinion, these could be addressed with dialogue and discussion.
How has been your experience in Parliament that witnessed highest-ever number of disruptions and wasted hours?
I was disappointed to see Parliament frequently disrupted due to unsavoury incidents. First-timers like me had no idea that it would be like this. We had hoped that it would be a paradigm of democracy, where we would learn ways to empower people, but it was not to be.