Irrigation, preventing migration my priorities: Ashok Gasti

BJP’s Ashok Gasti, about whom little was known until recently, is all set to enter the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka alongside veterans H D Deve Gowda and Mallikarjun Kharge. Hailing from Raichur, Gasti is a lawyer and BJP worker for over three decades.

In conversation with Akram Mohammed, Gasti delves briefly on his past work, previous differences with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and the road ahead. Excerpts:

You became known widely after your nomination to Rajya Sabha. How active were you politically before?

I have been active in the organisation since 1982, when I was a member of the ABVP, following which I joined RSS in 1987. I have fulfilled various roles for the party over the last few decades - I was in charge of six Lok Sabha and seven Assembly elections, I was Raichur district unit president in 2010, chairman of the Devaraj Urs Backward Classes Development Corporation for five months and also headed the State Backward Classes Commission.

Did you expect the Rajya Sabha ticket?

It was a totally surprise decision for me. I was organising a party workers’ meeting at Ballari district when I learnt through the media that I was nominated.

Your name was not recommended by the state BJP core committee.

I’m unaware of the names recommended by the core committee. The Central Election Committee nominated me as the party candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections and I’m grateful to my party.

One argument is that you and Eranna Kadadi were picked because of your past differences with B S Yediyurappa and proximity to BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh.

We’re party workers who abide by any decision taken by the leadership. The leadership has now sought my service - I hail from a micro community Savita Samaj, that I will represent in the Rajya Sabha. Both Santosh and Yediyurappa are our leaders, from whom we have learnt a lot and there is no question of any conflict.

But, you were once opposed to Yediyurappa.

The difference of opinion was because of the way grassroots workers were treated several years ago. That has been addressed since. We are all together in the interest of the party, and there aren’t any differences.

How do you plan on representing Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha?

One issue is increasing the land under cultivation in Krishna and Tungabhadra basins in Kalyana Karnataka districts. The second is to ensure that employment is generated to prevent the large-scale migration from these resource-rich districts. While several projects are on the anvil for irrigation purposes, we will have to ensure they are implemented quickly to benefit the rural population; this will address the migration problem. I’m also studying the region and seeking advice from experts, so that I can raise issues appropriately in the House.