The Tuesday Interview | 'Not naming the CM candidate in Rajasthan is part of the party’s strategy'

"I’ve been a minister under none other than PM Modi, a member of parliament, and have seen politics at the national level for ten years, and now he’s given me the opportunity to fight grassroots elections. It’s a complete circle, and I’m very excited."

The BJP has fielded many sitting Lok Sabha MPs in states that are going to the polls in November. Former Union Minister and MP from Jaipur Rural, Rajyavardhan Rathore, has been asked to contest from Jhotwara, near Jaipur. Rathore, the Olympic gold medalist and ace shooter, speaks to DH’s Sumit Pande while campaigning in his constituency. Excerpts:

Did it come as a surprise that the party asked you to contest assembly polls considering you are a sitting Lok Sabha MP and have won from Jaipur rural in 2014 and 2019?

This may be the first time that I am contesting for assembly, but it is the party that is fighting the election. Jhotwara is basically a BJP seat. Last time, we lost by a very thin margin. In terms of growth, it is a blessing for me. In one life, I have had the opportunity to serve the army in the toughest conditions and the country in sports in the toughest competitions. I’ve been a minister under none other than Prime Minister Modi, a member of parliament, and have seen politics at the national level for ten years, and now he’s given me the opportunity to fight grassroots elections. It’s a complete circle, and I’m very excited.

How are you preparing for the last mile, considering BJP rebels may enter the fray?

It is natural when someone is expecting something. All of a sudden, if it doesn’t happen, people are not machines, and it will take them some time (to understand), but I know that anybody who has been seeking a BJP ticket basically places the nation first. They will absolutely be with the party closer to the elections. But the opposition in the BJP is nothing compared to what is happening in the Congress.

But does the infighting in the BJP not impact the morale of the cadre?

At the grassroots level, all the workers are coming back. You would have seen the video where six to seven people were showing me black flags. They have, in fact, all joined back. We are very comfortably placed now. We know the sort of work the Prime Minister has done and what the BJP has done, and so we are enjoying the elections.

What is the focus of the BJP in this election in Rajasthan? What are the issues on which you are seeking votes?

Rajasthan has suffered a massive setback under the leadership of Gehlot. Be it the farmers, their lands have been auctioned because these people (farmers) couldn’t repay their loans. This is despite all the big promises of loans being waived within 10 days. Forty lakh youths have suffered, not only financially but also in terms of the loss of time in their lives, due to the leak of 19 papers. In an organisation like the RPSC, the political appointees themselves are demanding money.

All the MLAs of the Congress have been asked to run their own fiefdoms. The only condition is that they should keep the CM safe. The breakdown in law and order is historic. Especially, the appeasement politics is rampant. A lot of anti-national elements have found a safe haven in Rajasthan. We know the infamous case of Kanhaiya Lal, but there are many more Kanhaiyas who have lost their lives without a video being made of them.

There is no investment coming to Rajasthan, and all the loot is going to the MLAs and the Congress.

But what is it that you offer to the people? Congress and Ashok Gehlot have made their social sector schemes a calling card.

We have to make up for this lost time. Under the PM’s leadership, be it investments in Rajasthan for bringing industry, we will create a system to generate employment. Safety and security for women, which also includes the generation of employment for them, is important. The first thing is safety and security. Unless they go out, how will they educate themselves, leave aside taking up a job?

The Centre has given Rs 29,000 crore to the state under the scheme to provide drinking water to houses. But Rajasthan has spent only Rs 8,000 crore. Even in that, there are lots of cases of embezzlement of funds. The state has tremendous capacity, but we need a government here in Jaipur that works in sync with the central government. And works with clarity, transparency, and accountability.

The BJP has not announced a CM candidate this time around. The PM has urged people to vote for the party symbol. How would this impact the BJP’s electioneering in Rajasthan?

The point is clear: the Prime Minister’s vision has to be implemented in Rajasthan. And for that, we are very clear that it is his method of politics or way of new governance, which is minimum government, maximum governance, that has to be brought in here. The field is still open. It is just that we have not declared it (the CM candidate) yet. But that’s part of the strategy. Any of the names that you can think of depend on whatever decision is taken by the political party at the highest level.