Mumbai, November 13 (IANS). Whose government will be formed in Maharashtra will become clear on November 23. But, amid the ongoing election campaign in the state, party leader Poonam Mahajan, daughter of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, had a special conversation with IANS on Wednesday. He spoke openly on many issues including not getting ticket from the party in the Lok Sabha elections and the death of Pramod Mahajan.
Question: Why did you not get a ticket from BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?
Answer: We have to look at the reasons why I was not given the Lok Sabha ticket in 2024. I believe that when the truth comes out, it takes some time, but it does come out. I am never sad about anything, because I am a BJP worker and the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked for the country, if I have to go and work in any state of the country as a worker, then I will definitely do it. . We had strengthened BJP’s hold by defeating Congress in its stronghold, but then we might have made a mistake. We will fight once again and take this seat under our control.”
Question: Did your work change while you were in BJP?
Answer: I have continued working for the party since the beginning and I think there has been no change in my work. For BJP, there is no Poonam or any other name, rather the organization is paramount. No one person or worker does the work, behind it is the hard work of many workers and the party. The public has faith in you. Elections are not focused on just one person but involve the hard work of many people. The equations had changed in Maharashtra, otherwise we would have won this seat. My job is to see the problems in the constituency. I don’t leave my work. We are working on how to form a Mahayuti government in Maharashtra in the coming times.
Question: What would you say on the contest between Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra?
Answer: If we talk about the equation of MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) and Mahayuti, then after voting on November 20, BJP will become the largest party in the state. If we look at the election results continuously since 2009, the strike rate of BJP has increased. A big reason for this is that BJP continuously works for the public, hence the public’s trust in us is increasing day by day. Whoever comes with us in Mahayuti, he works with the same ideology all the time. The leader of Maha Vikas Aghadi is Congress and it is clear that corruption is from Congress itself. Congress has returned without ideology and similarly this party belongs to a prince and a family. For this reason their voters are also decreasing. That is why I have said that the Congress that talks about “love shop” is a fake narrative shop. We will close the shop completely this time.
Question: Have you expressed suspicion of a deep conspiracy behind the murder of Pramod Mahajan?
Answer: I said in speeches and meetings. When I get more evidence I will definitely speak. But, it is not right to politicize it. Everyone loved Pramod Mahajan and what happened to him at that time was a great injustice. I will talk about this matter, it is election time now and I do not want it to be politicized. I have always said that there is some conspiracy behind this.
Question: What to say about the increasing share of political parties in Maharashtra?
Answer: Maharashtra has a very strong tradition since the 1980s. No single party can achieve majority. I think the people of Maharashtra also use democracy very well. There are many parties in Maharashtra, but it seems that the public will vote in favor of BJP and Mahayuti.
Question: What happened during the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh?
Answer: Yes, the results changed to a great extent in the Lok Sabha elections, because our expectations were more from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh and I myself have been an MP from Maharashtra. Although the voting percentage has not decreased much, the mathematics has shifted a bit. Learning from this, we came to know that you can blind the public by lying once. This is the ideology of Congress and they have put a white blindfold on their eyes, but they are roaming around with the ideology of the Left.
Question: How do you see the manifesto of Congress?
Answer: Congress has copied BJP’s manifesto and this is their old habit. I am sad that Congress, despite being such an old party, is not able to understand the people. They feel that they can manipulate the public in any way they can, but the public is very smart and they will answer them in this great festival of democracy.
Question: Uddhav Thackeray has raised questions on bag checking, what will you say on this?
Answer: Everyone’s bags including Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari have been checked. I was also stopped many times by the Election Commission. When the Election Commission of India does the work of elections, their officials look after the entire work and it should be looked at impartially.
Question: Questions are being raised on the law and order of Maharashtra. What do you think on this?
Answer: We come from an ideology whose every minister and Home Ministry works with dedication for the people of Maharashtra. Safety of daughters is important for us and we will continue to work for their safety.
Question: Did you ever think of leaving BJP?
Answer: I am Poonam Pramod Mahajan and I am the daughter of Pramod Mahajan. BJP is my mother and I will give my entire life for this party. The party has given me a lot and I will never reduce my hard work. Poonam Mahajan can never break with BJP. Being a worker, I hope that BJP government comes. Apart from this, work has to be done on many other issues.
–IANS
FM/AKJ
