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‘People of Lucknow want a real change’
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has nominated Sarwar Malik to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Lucknow parliamentary seat. Malik previously contested the 2022 assembly elections from the Lucknow North seat and lost. His wife Shaheen Bano also contested Mayoral polls last year but lost . He is closely associated with BSP supremo Mayawati, which makes his candidacy significant in the context of the party’s future prospects. Sarwar Malik discussed his political journey and his outlook for the upcoming elections with Anupam Srivastava.
You lost the assembly elections from the Lucknow North seat in 2022. How do you expect to win the Lok Sabha seat in 2024?
It’s true that I lost the Lucknow North assembly elections in 2022, but since then, I have worked extensively to connect with voters. After that loss, my wife Shaheen Bano contested for the mayoral seat, and we toured all 110 wards in Lucknow. Now, I have to cover only 89 wards for the parliamentary seat, which makes the task more manageable. Moreover, people in Lucknow are increasingly dissatisfied with the BJP’s governance. They remember the discipline and order under Mayawati’s leadership, and they want to see her as prime minister because she knows how to control crime and bureaucracy in the state.
There are strong candidates like defence minister Rajnath Singh and Samajwadi Party’s Ravidas Mehrotra contesting against you, so who is going to be the main challenger?
:The real contest is between BSP and BJP. The Samajwadi Party’s candidate, Ravidas Mehrotra, is essentially a dummy candidate. He’s contesting for the sake of formality, but his heart isn’t in it. In contrast, I’ve been in touch with the voters throughout, not just when elections are around the corner. Rajnath Singh has done little for his constituency ; he shows up only when elections are near. This time, the people of Lucknow want real change, and that’s what I’m offering.
What are the main issues on which you are contesting the elections?
: Unemployment is the most pressing issue. Youths with skills are struggling to find jobs or even guidance for starting businesses. If elected, I will establish career guidance centres at ward level to help our youths. Additionally, the healthcare system in Lucknow is in dire straits. People still rely on outdated limited government hospitals that are difficult for the poor to access. I plan to start clinics at the colony level for primary care so that people can get treatment closer home. The current government officials and departments govern people rather than serving them. With BSP in power, these officials will serve the masses, not rule over them. Presently the common man is afraid of speaking to the officials because they are so rude
