BJP’s Bidhuri says people will vote him to make Modi PM

Bidhuri, the sitting MLA from Badarpur and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly, is a veteran in Delhi politics. He has been elected MLA four times and was a member of the first legislative assembly of Delhi in 1993.

Seventy-one-year-old Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, the sitting MLA from Badarpur and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly, is a veteran in Delhi politics. He has been elected MLA four times and was a member of the first legislative assembly of Delhi in 1993. Now contesting the Lok Sabha polls from the South Delhi seat, he sat down with HT’s Paras Singh at his bungalow on Zakir Hussain Marg to discuss his plans for the constituency. Edited excerpts:

Ramvir Singh Bidhuri during the interview at his residence. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

Q: What would be your key projects if people of South Delhi elect you?

I will expand the Metro network, develop master-plan roads and regularise 69 affluentunauthorised colonies. Traffic is a big problem in our region and we will develop a peripheral road connecting Sangam Vihar to Deoli. A Singapore university was to be developed in Jaunapur village under the Sheila Dikshit government and that project will be revived in coordination with the university. The Mehrauli-Badarpur road needs to be turned into an elevated road, up to the Gurugram border. Mandi Road will be widened to 100 feet from 25 feet to provide another passageway connecting Haryana.

Q: Six sitting MPs from BJP in Delhi have not been provided ticket for elections this time, including from South Delhi. How do you see your predecessor’s work?

They say that no work has taken place in the past 10 years. Can AAP list one work that will be remembered for ages? We have developed peripheral roads around Delhi to cut down pollution, developed one of world’s largest eco parks on 800 acres in Badarpur, built the Kalindi DND highway from Badarpur, which will go up to Mumbai, brought up world-class convention centres in Pragati Maidan and Dwarka, developed the Pragati Maidan tunnel, and developing a third ring road, with 26 flyovers, with 90% of the work completed. A web of highways and infrastructure projects are coming up all around Delhi. The face of Delhi has changed.

Q: How do you see your opponent from the Aam Aadmi Party, Sahi Ram Pehalwan, and the challenge he poses to your candidacy?

People know that the Modi government will be in power. They will elect the BJP candidate so that many issues linked with the central government are resolved. People of South Delhi are intelligent voters. They have to choose between Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, with 53 years of public life, the best MLA, a four-time MLA, leader of opposition, and Pehalwan. There has not been a single blemish on me in my five decades of public life, while he has several cases against him. There is no challenge or comparison between us.

Q: The AAP has repeatedly alleged that the BJP and central government have never allowed the AAP-led state government to work freely? How do you respond to these allegations?

It is the other way round. The AAP-led Delhi government has not allowed the implementation of so many central government schemes. Ayushman Bharat could not be implemented in Delhi, ration cards for poor are not being processed and more than 10 lakh such cases are pending. The central government provides free ration. PM AWAS Yojana was implemented across the country, except Delhi. The Delhi government refused to contribute the 20% state share for the Pragati Maidan integrated corridor project. Peripheral roads around Delhi were developed by the central government with ₹43,000 crore and the Delhi government did not provide its share. They were not providing their share for RRTS corridors either and court was forced to intervene.

Q: AAP government has said that powers of Delhi government and assembly have been drastically diluted. Being a leader of Opposition in Delhi assembly and veteran MLA since 1993, how do you respond to these allegations?

The AAP has diluted the powers of assembly. They are not holding question hours in the assembly sessions, which is not seen anywhere else. The business advisory committee meetings to chart out the agenda of the sessions are no longer held. We have eight opposition MLAs and not a single short notice discussion has been accepted so far. Leader of Opposition is thrown out as soon as he stands up to speak.

Q: Many parts of South Delhi suffer from water shortage and scarcity. What do you plan to tackle this problem?

Water is a massive problem. Wherever I go, people of South Delhi are crying due to water scarcity. We will ensure supply is improved and good quality clean water is provided.

Q: AAP says that the arrest of CM Arvind Kejriwal has created a sympathy wave among the people of Delhi. How do you see his arrest and can it prove detrimental to the BJP’s prospects?

Kejriwal saheb was sent summons nine times. I also urged him to respect the process of law. He should have gone and made his point to the agency, but he did not go. He approached the high court to seek relief, but the court provided no relief. The ED had no other way but to arrest him. It is wrong to say that he has been sent to jail by the Modi government. Kejriwal has been sent to jail by the court.

Q: But is it generating any sympathy for the AAP and jailed chief minister and the party?

There is no sympathy for people who engage in such massive corruption scams. They have not done any work for people to generate sympathy. Why would people sympathise with him?

With this roti in hand, bearing witness to God, I am saying that I have been among lakhs of people but not a single person questioned why Arvind Kejriwal was arrested.

Q: The AAP and Congress are flighting this election jointly for the first time. How do you see this playing out at the ground level?

We got 57% vote share in the last election. Even with both their vote shares combined, they are not getting anywhere close to us. We will get an even larger vote share. The popularity of Modi ji is even more than what was seen in 2019. The election is not being fought by Ramvir Bidhuri. People of Delhi are fighting the election to make Narendra Modi a third-time PM. The alliance has no impact on our victory prospects. If the alliance was to have an impact, why would one leader after another be leaving them? DPCC chief Arvinder Lovely is gone, AAP minister Raj Kumar Anand is gone and former minister Raj Kumar Anand left the Congress. It is a sinking ship.

Q: What would be your arguments to the undecided voters in the upcoming election?

Undecided voter will vote for Modi, never for Rahul Gandhi. People will vote above caste, creed and religion.