HT Interview: We’ll do work that could not be done in 20 years, says Parvesh Verma
BJP's Parvesh Verma defeats AAP's Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi, citing Modi's leadership and AAP's failures as key factors. Priorities include development and anti-corruption.
BJP leader Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma defeated AAP chief and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi, which the latter has represented since 2013. Verma, considered one of the candidates for the chief minister’s post , spoke about the BJP’s campaign and the reasons for AAP’s defeat. Edited excerpts:
You have defeated AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in his stronghold. The BJP has returned to power in Delhi after 27 years. What worked in the party’s favour?
The people have chosen a good government, they reposed faith in PM Narendra Modi. This is the victory of Narendra Modi, BJP national president (JP Nadda) and union home minister (Amit Shah), and the victory of all the workers, and the people of Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal had the opportunity to carry out development work in Delhi by implementing several central government schemes by working with PM Narendra Modi. But he believed in (confrontational) politics and that he why he failed. I always said that the so-called world class education model, health model, and offer of free electricity and water were only on paper and in advertisements, and not on the ground.
The people had faith that the work that could not be done in Delhi will be done by the BJP. We won the trust of the people. We have to fulfil the expectations of the people.
What do you think are the reasons for the massive defeat of AAP?
AAP government was entirely based on lies. For the last 10 years they kept on lying and selling false dreams to the people. During the entire campaign they did not show a single picture of work they had done. The Sheesh Mahal (a reference to the chief minister’s residence) and the liquor stores (the result of the scrapped excise policy, alleged irregularities in which are being probed by federal agencies) were the only work done by the AAP government in the last 10 years. The people saw that when they needed oxygen, medicines during the Covid pandemic, Arvind Kejriwal was giving them liquor, and was busy building his Sheesh Mahal – (and this is ) a man who used to say that he would not take big bungalow. Lies cannot help anyone all the time.
What will be the priorities of the BJP government in Delhi?
With the vision of PM Narendra Modi, we will do the work that could not be done in the last 20 years. We will do a lot of work for the people of Delhi. Mahila Samridhi Yojana (under which ₹2500 a month will be paid to women), (clean up of the) Yamuna river front, jobs for the unemployed youth, taking steps for reducing pollution, new flyovers, new metro lines to reduce traffic congestion. Laying of sewer lines and water pipelines, the development of the villages and other works will be done on a priority basis.
Are you a contender for the CM’s post?
The BJP legislative party will sit together in the next couple of days and the leader of the legislative party will be chosen. After that the party leadership will take a decision, and later the name will be announced. That name will be acceptable to everyone.
During the elections, the BJP said that it would set up a special investigation team to probe alleged corruption during the AAP government?
We said that a SIT will be formed and it will probe all the scams and corruption which have taken place such as the liquor, panic button , classroom construction scams. The guilty for it will have to face punishment .
