'AAP will form govt, Kejriwal will return as CM'

Former MLA of Sangam Vihar, Aam Aadmi Party’s Dinesh Mohaniya, has been retained by the party in the constituency for the upcoming elections. In December 2013, Dinesh had defeated Bharatiya Janata Party’s Shiv Charan Lal Gupta by a margin on 777 votes.

Congress leader Sajjan Kumar’s son Jag Parvesh had finished third in the constituency. In an interview with Vishnu Sukumaran, Dinesh says his victory last time was the common man’s victory. Excerpts:

You are only 35-years-old, how did you join politics? Why AAP and not any other political party?

My journey began with the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare in 2011. When I participated in the movement, I came in contact with many people including Arvind Kejriwal.

I supported the issues raised by the movement before the Central government led by Congress and when AAP was formed I decided to join politics. Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal are my role models and the voice of common man.

I believe BJP and Congress politicians fight for power and not for people’s cause. I don’t aim to fill my bank account as the MLA, but work for the development of my neighbours, people living in Sangam Vihar constituency.

After the close contest with the candidates of BJP and Congress in 2013, you were also slapped by a woman in 2014. How do you plan to impress the voters this time?

That incident was a conspiracy against me as I was in the constituency to learn about the problem of water scarcity. I had received several complaints about tanker mafia operating in the area. The mafia did not come in front, instead they sent a woman.

Our party workers have also faced similar attacks and our property is also regularly damaged by political rivals. But such incidents have no impact on my agenda as I have continued to meet locals, to listen to the problems.

I will continue to fight against corruption and raise voice against injustice faced by people. Our party has also been fighting for the issues that were raised during the 2011 anti-corruption movement. AAP will form the government and Arvind Kejriwal will return to be the Chief Minister. There is no question of losing. If AAP loses the elections, it will be the loss of the aam aadmi.

For residents of Sangam Vihar, their basic demands are road, water and electricity. They say parties come and make promises, but no one does anything for them. What do you have to say on this?

After having seen the work of both BJP and Congress, residents now only have hopes from AAP and expect me to deliver. When AAP was in power for 49 days, we had worked for the poor and announced many initiatives focusing on work at grass-root level. 

On the other hand, no work was done in Sangam Vihar in the last one decade. After becoming the MLA, I held several meetings with locals to understand their problem other than what I faced myself as a resident of Khanpur.

In the past eight months, I gave water connections, better roads, streetlights and clean water. Due to lack of time, I could not prove my capabilities, but aim to serve people.