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We all toe PM’s line on being united: Keshav Prasad Maurya

In his first newspaper interview since the Lok Sabha polls, Uttar Pradesh deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya predicted a strong BJP showing in the upcoming by-elections in the state

Published on: Nov 13, 2024, 09:17:40 IST
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The BJP is poised to win most of the nine seats on the basis of organisational strength and achievements of the double-engine government in the state. We see fight only in one or two seats.

UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya. (HT photo)
UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya. (HT photo)

It is true that our party underperformed in the Lok Sabha polls in the state quite contrary to our confidence and expectations. The Congress-led Opposition succeeded in misleading voters with its false narratives. Now, their lies stand exposed. Moreover, the recent results of assembly elections in Haryana, where the BJP has formed the government for the third consecutive term, has given a befitting reply to the Opposition’s false narrative on issues like Agniveer and efforts to amend the Constitution.

It will not be proper for me to make any comment on the chief minister’s statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is our supreme leader, has given the slogan “Ek hai toh safe hai” (if you are together, you’ll be safe). We all toe this line only. Our party has always talked of unity. The Opposition blows such statements out of context because they have to do politics of Muslim appeasement.

(Smiles) No, this is not true. I have excellent relations with the CM. We both took the oath together in 2017, he as the CM and me as the deputy CM. We have been together since. This is the Opposition’s problem.

We will repeat 2017 in 2027 by winning more than 300 of the 403 seats.

This is something outside my remit. I cannot comment.

Having an ambition and the party’s decision are two different things. I am a disciplined party worker and discharge any duty given to me with all diligence and honesty.

PDA is nothing but a Parivar Development Authority. Akhilesh Yadav (of the SP) is a man of no vision. His party is full of criminals and goons. Good people cannot survive in his party. Those who are there today will leave the party soon. This is my prediction.

If he is such a well-wisher of SCs and OBCs, why does he not appoint a person from these castes as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha in his place? He should also nominate SCs and OBCs as party presidents in states. But he will never do this. Both Rahul and Akhilesh are feudalists and power-hungry.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pranshu Mishra

Pranshu Mishra is Hindustan Times’s Resident Editor in Lucknow. His 25-plus years of journalistic career is defined by successful stints across print and television news channels. A bilingual journalist, he started as a field reporter with, later transitioned to English journalism, and spent 18 years as a correspondent and then Bureau chief for UP — first with TimesNow and then CNN-News18 — before returning to print in his present role. An authoritative voice on Politics, religious and caste dynamics in the Hindi heartland, especially Uttar Pradesh, he is well known for his deep understanding and analysis of the complex issues shaping the social discourse in India's most populous state. He has covered multiple state and national elections, reporting extensively from urban centres to remote hinterlands. He has closely followed, reported and written on major issues. An IVLP alumnus, he is interested in studying the changing landscape of political campaigning in the age of social media.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brajendra K Parashar

Brajendra K Parashar is a Senior Journalist with the Hindustan Times, based in Lucknow, with nearly three decades of experience covering governance, public policy, politics and development in Uttar Pradesh. Over the years, he has reported extensively on key sectors, including energy and renewable power, mobility and transport, road safety, agriculture and allied sectors and issues related to farmers, rural development, taxation under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and public administration. A seasoned political correspondent, Parashar closely tracks the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has covered every major election in Uttar Pradesh right from three-tier panchayat elections and urban local body polls to Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. He also reports regularly on the proceedings of the Uttar Pradesh Legislature, bureaucracy, governance, policy decisions and administrative developments with focus on their impact on public life. His reporting is known for its strong analytical approach, extensive use of official data. His areas of interests include investigative journalism, long-form political and policy analysis, data-driven reporting, elections and institutional reforms. Parashar holds a postgraduate degree in Political Science with First Division from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), followed by a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from the same university. His inclination towards journalism began during his student days, when he regularly contributed letters to editors and articles to newspapers and magazines. In the mid-1990S, his essay, “Should India Switch Over to the Presidential Form Of Government?”, published in Politics India magazine edited by noted constitutional expert Subhash C Kashyap, was adjudged the best entry in a national competition. His work has received professional recognition, including the Hindustan Times Journalist of the Month Award for an impactful series on drinking water issues during the 2010 Lok Sabha election campaign. Originally from Kasganj in western Uttar Pradesh, Parashar is currently based in Lucknow where continues to report on politics, governance and public policy.

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