Captain Abhimanyu Singh Sindhu, Finance Minster of the State, said the BJP Government served entire Haryana as a family in last five years and many historical decisions were taken for the welfare of the people.
He said the Jan Ashirwad Yatra carried out by the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been a huge success and wherever the Yatra has gone — from villages to cities — the CM was warmly welcomed in all the 90 Assembly constituencies across the State. He said the popularity of the Chief Minister among all the section of society, be it farmers, traders, labourers, youths and women has been witnessed during the yatra.
He said in five years, not a single case of nepotism, corruption, casteism or regionalism has been reported from any part of the State.
Decorated officer with Indian Army, Capt Abhimanyu is BJP’s MLA from Narnaund Constituency in Hisar district and has charge of eight departments like Department of Finance, Department of Economic and Statistical Analysis, Department of Institutional Finance and Credit Control, Department of Revenue and Disaster Management, Department of Excise and Taxation, Department of land records and consolidation, Department of Rehabilitation in the first-ever Government led by the BJP in Haryana.
In an exclusive interview with The Pioneer, Capt Abhimanyu reveals his Government’s achievement in five years, his political journey as well as his strategy for the upcoming Assembly polls. Excerpts from the interview:
You are going to face Assembly elections in October after completing five years of your Government in the State. What will be the issues in the upcoming Assembly election? Will Abrogation of Art 370 in Jammu & Kashmir be raised by the party in the election?
We will go to the people with the agenda of developmental works done by our Government in the State. In five years, lot of work has been done for the welfare of the people. We have served the people in five years with honesty and unbiased manner for their development. In five years of BJP-led Government, not a single case of nepotism, corruption, casteism, regionalism has been reported from any parts of the State. I am sure and certain that my party will form the Government in the State with full majority. It was party’s manifesto to scrap Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir. Party at the Centre gets full majority and scrapped it. This has nothing to do with the Assembly election of Haryana. The party will go to the people under the visionary leader Manohar Lal Khattar with only agenda of development in the upcoming Assembly election.
You have been with the Chief Minister during Jan Ashirwad Yatra. Share with us the response of the yatra?
Jan Ashirwad Yatra carried out by the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been a huge success. It was flagged off by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for the October Assembly polls in Haryana from Kalka on August 18 and would culminate after crisscrossing all the 90 constituencies of the State at PM’s Vijay Sankalp rally in Rohtak. Wherever Yatra went from villages to cities, the CM was warmly welcomed by the people of all spectrum irrespective of caste, creed, religion and region in all the Assembly constituencies across the State. Local residents, party supporters and public representatives welcomed the yatra at their respective areas. The popularity of the Chief Minister among all sections of society, be it farmers, traders, labourers, youths and women has been witnessed during the yatra. Developmental works done by the BJP-led Government under the leadership of CM Khattar in five years were appreciated by the people.
As you claim all round development has been taken place so why do you need central leadership to seek vote in the upcoming Assembly polls?
Our party is a national party. Central leadership helps the State unit to win the election. Our party has focused only on development in five years. We would definitely seek help of Central leadership. People love the Prime Minister and lakhs of people would turn up for his rally and it will be historic for Rohtak. The rally will strengthen the party at the booth level. This rally will energise the party leaders and workers.
Congress has recently made organisational changes. Kumari Selja has been appointed as Haryana party chief while former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as head of the election management committee. Will the BJP get strong fight from the Congress in the polls? Whether parties like INLD, JPP, AAP and Swaraj Party will give your party strong fight in some constituencies?
The Congress has become zero in Haryana politics. What you will get if you add, subtract, multiply and divide zero with zero. The result will remain zero. The organisational changes in Haryana made by the Congress party will not help the party at all in the State Assembly elections. Factionalism has been exposed in Congress and its leaders are fighting amongst themselves over leadership issue and will continue to do this during the polls. There was rampant corruption in 10 years rule of the Congress party in the State. People will again teach the Congress a lesson in the assembly elections. Just as the Congress had faced the loss under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha elections, similarly the results of the Congress in Haryana will be the same in the Assembly elections. There is no opposition party which can give big fight to the BJP in the Assembly election.
After serving in Indian Army for six years, you joined politics. How has been your political journey so far?
In 1987, I joined the Indian Army, passing-out as a Second Lieutenant on 5 March 1988 to serve in 7 Mechanised infantry Regiment (1 Dogra). I was awarded the Special Services Medal (Desert) in 1989. I completed my army’s 5 years Short Service Commission in 1993. I was then selected for the Civil Services of India (ICS) but chose not to join in favour of philanthropic and social service work. I have held several prominent BJP party positions including as National Spokesperson, National General Secretary, General Secretary in Haryana, in-charge of Punjab State, and co-in-charge of the state of Uttar Pradesh campaign during the Indian General Election, 2014. In 2014, I won the Narnaund seat in the Legislative Assembly of Haryana by a margin of 5761 votes.
Haryana has witnessed dynastic politics for decades. Relatives of senior leaders of all the parties would contest the election this time too. How do you see this?
People have started rejecting dynastic politics. Dynastic politics will finish from Haryana in the Assembly polls. In today’s politics, there is no substitute to development. The Governments which perform will retain power. In democracy, there is nothing impossible. People will end dynastic politics through votes. Development in the state was earlier adversely affected due to dynastic politics, regionalism, nepotism and corruption. Previous Governments were involved in corruption and nepotism.
What is your assessment on economic slowdown in Haryana and across country?
There is nothing such as economic slowdown. I and senior party leaders at the Centre have explained many times regarding this issue. Opposition is raising this issue to get political mileage. We are working with the people and their concerns are redressed.
What are the works you have done for your constituency?
I live with the people of the constituency and am always available for them. All round development has been taken place in my Constituency.
Are you satisfied with the work your Government has done in five years?
Yes, I am satisfied with the work done by the BJP-led Government in five years. Most of the party’s election manifesto of 2014 has been completed. Schemes like ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ empowerment of panchayats financially, ‘Padha Likha Panchayat’ among others have been effectively executed. Issues which are unfulfilled will be redressed in the next five years.
Opposition parties say your Government has failed to provide job to unemployed youth.
Our Government has done a lot to generate employment for youth. If you study the data of the last five years then you will find that our Government has succeeded in providing job to maximum youths. Party has started a vision document drive. We will make Haryana exactly as the people of the state want. The party will prepare its manifesto for the assembly elections on the basis of people’s expectations. Our party is concerned regarding unemployment issue and will do in the next five years.
BJP has set the target of 75+ for the upcoming Assembly election-2019. How would you achieve it?
Our party has focused only on development in five years. In comparison to previous government, the condition of farmers has improved in the state. Farmers are stress free and are receiving benefits from Government welfare scheme. Our party has set the target of winning 75+ seats in the upcoming election and we are working on that. I am confident of winning 75+ seats in the election.
