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‘My aim: Pulling Shravasti out of backwater to usher in development’
BJP candidate from Shravasti Lok Sabha seat Saket Mishra talks to Pawan Dixit about his political journey and his priorities for his constituency.
Shravasti: Investment banker Saket Mishra, who quit the corporate world to take a plunge into politics, has come a long way in a short time. BJP candidate from Shravasti Lok Sabha seat, he is now fighting the most crucial battle of his new career.
However, the domain of politics is not new for him. His maternal grandfather Badlu Ram Shukla was Congress MP from Bahraich district in 1971. Shukla was a famous politician of the region and the credit for the initial development in the region goes to him.His father, former bureaucrat Nripendra Misra, advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is chairman of Ram Mandir Construction Committee.
Saket has made his maternal grandfather’s home in Bahraich district his base from the day he began his political journey.
Moving away from the air conditioned rooms of top notch multinational banking companies of the world to the heat and dust of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Mishra’s new journey began five years ago in 2019 when he was among the most probable contenders for the BJP ticket from Shravasti seat. In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, Mishra had addressed a few public meetings in Shravasti also. But he could not get the ticket. But he never left Shravasti and consolidated his position in the district through social work.
Shravasti district was once part of Bahraich. It came into existence in May 1997 and was carved out of Bahraich and Balrampur districts. At present, Mishra is BJP MLC and member of Purvanchal Development Board.
“Saket is from a new generation of professionals who, while being comfortable in a multinational environment, can also run an election in the poorest district of the country,” said Nripendra Misra. “He breaks the mould of Lutyens’ Delhi insiders who do not ever go to the people,” he added.
Amidst his busy campaigning schedule, Saket Mishra shared his future plans for Shravasti with Pawan Dixit at his election office in Bhinga assembly constituency of Shravasti parliamentary constituency.
You have been preparing for your political journey since 2019. How do you see this transformation from a corporate world to politics in the Hindi heartland?
I am a great believer in God and destiny. God has guided some of my path. When I got the opportunity to start social service in east Uttar Pradesh, I took up the challenge, thanks to chief minister Yogi Adityanath. In my career as Investment banker, I got the opportunity to see how the world functions, especially South -East Asia. I have always wanted to be a change agent in India. India can do better and has huge potential. I have big shoes to fill in terms of honesty and public service.
What are the priorities you have set for your constituency?
There are four priorities that I have set for my constituency. First is health care. Improving the quality of medical services in Shravasti is on my priority list. Education comes second and my focus will be on grades from five to 10. Primary education is being taken care of by the government. I want to improve science and maths and use digital technology to achieve this. We are already helping 2000 students in Shravasti and if results are good, this number will be increased to 20,000. My third priority will be to bring employment opportunities to Shravasti by attracting industrial activity in the region. For women, I am trying to find ways where they can work from home. Even if it is for two hours a day, it will help women earn without leaving their home. My fourth priority will be to ensure that access to public services becomes easier for the public and results are time bound. Poor people suffer the most when they have to spend time at a thana or at the tehsil. The whole purpose will be to improve the quality of life of people.
Shravasti and Balrampur are part of the aspirational districts project of the union government. This brings more funds in your constituency. How will you channelise them?
It is a revolutionary step by the PM. I would like to bring a more systematic approach which is customised towards Shravasti and Balrampur. Each district has its unique requirement. For instance, we have flooding in the region triggered from Nepal. Each year crops are destroyed and villages are cut off. If we can prevent this damage then we will have more money for development. Prevention is better than cure. We spent a lot of money distributing help but we do not spend money on prevention.
What are the challenges you are facing in your campaigning?
The biggest challenge is the scale of the Lok Sabha constituency. Fortunately I have been working here for the past eight -nine years, so I am aware of the problems here. In these years I have executed development projects in my constituency and most of this work has been done through corporate social responsibility (CSR).
You have a big legacy of your father. Is it helping you?
It inspires me. I will be lucky even if I become 50 per cent like him. His ability to deal with pressure, to do good work consistently and remain optimistic are things that I really admire. Head of the Ram Temple Construction Committee gives a unique name recognition and that helps.
Are your family members helping in campaigning?
As my mother belongs to the region, she comes here and campaigns along with my wife Abhilasha, who is a chartered accountant and investment banker. My son is in a Hedge Fund company in Boston (US) and my daughter is pursuing engineering.
