New chief of Delhi BJP - I smell arrogance

Is this the best BJP could get for the head position. Will he be the CM candidate if elections are held??
The interview below smells of arrogance to me.

Satish Upadhyay's appointment as chief of the state BJP unit has raised hopes of an early decision on Delhi's political future. Is the BJP going to pull a surprise by staking claim to form the government or is the Lieutenant Governor going to announce fresh polls?

The new state BJP president faces an aggressive Congress leadership and a determined Aam Admi Party who are doing all they can to turn the power crisis and issue of price rise to their political advantage. He also faces the daunting task of putting the state BJP unit in order and bringing the warring factions within the party together.

]Satish Upadhyay: Pallavi Polanki/Firstpost Satish Upadhyay: Pallavi Polanki/Firstpost An RSS worker till 1981, Upadhyay's political career began as a student leader in the ABVP. Steadily rising within the ranks of the party, he went on become the president and the general secretary of BJP's youth wing. In 2010, he was made the vice-president of the Delhi BJP unit and in 2012 decided to contest municipal elections.

A councillor from Malviya Nagar, Upadhyay was appointed chairman of the Standing Committee of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation last year.

Firstpost spoke to Upadhyay about his plans for the BJP in Delhi.

Excerpts from the interview.

You have spoken about the need to address the ‘trust deficit' among Delhi voters. What has led to this ‘trust-deficit'?

It is not as if something has happened that has led to a trust-deficit. If my Opposition is getting more vote-share, it is a cause of concern for us. That means there is some lack of trust and I have to build that trust. It is not as if there has been a specific incident that led to it. Ultimately, life is about faith. If you have faith in something, you will give your life for it. Same with a party. Whatever be the trust deficit, be it among women voters who are feeling insecure, or the elderly, or businessman for that matter, we need to address that.

And how do you plan to address it?
It is all about communication and education. There is no other way. We want to reach out to the people. My mission in life is faith rebuilding in society. This is my personal mission. If I commit to something, I will do everything in my power to fulfil it.

What is your message to the BJP cadre?

To address the trust deficit and to re-build faith in society. There has to be faith between party workers, between juniors and seniors. It is not about competition but cooperation.

How would you describe your style as a leader?

I am a very simple person. My approach is always humble. I am a simple karyakarta. I'm not very ambitious about certain things. What I say, I do.

By choosing someone like yourself to lead the party in Delhi, what message is do you think the party is sending out?

I don't have any political legacy. The message the party is sending is that a common party worker who is young, energetic, sincere can aim for the top post. Today I met Advaniji. I have met him hundreds of times before but today for the first time he interacted with me for half-an-hour. He said he was amazed that I had such a long history with the party. I tend to keep a low profile. I don't like to push myself into the spotlight. He said that he appreciated this about me.

Did you expect to be given this responsibility?

I had some kind of an inkling. I was asked before. But I had humbly said ‘no'. It is a big responsibility. I am a family person. I have two wonderful daughters. I have a son. One of my daughters is a lawyer. She has just come back from Cambridge. To take on this responsibility is to forget about your family. Now I have decided. I have talked to my family. I am no more a family man. I am a party man. I have to work.

You have been a member of the RSS. How much of an influence will your RSS background have on your current role?

Not RSS. I am influenced by Vivekananda. In school, I read him a lot. I also read Swami Munshi Premchand. In my family, there was no one with an RSS background. I joined the RSS shakha. Then I joined the Vidyarthi Parishad. I was the youngest Delhi University Student Union president. I then went on join the BJYM (Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha).

Have you had the chance to meet Amit Shah? Did the new BJP president have any advice for you?

Yes I met him. He is a dynamic leader. He is my party president. Delhi will benefit from his guidance and dynamism.

You have spoken about the need to strengthen the party organisation. What are some of your other big priorities when it comes to the party?

There should not be any factionalism within the party. Every party worker should get his due. It is very difficult to get to know each and every worker, but if I try to ensure that the auditing of party workers happens based on merit, that is important.

How do you plan to deal with the infighting within the party?

In a large organisation, these issues will be there. As head of the party, it is my responsibility to address the issues of groupism and factionalism. I am a trustee of the organisation. My role is to put my house in order. And two, whatever needs to be done to put my house in order, be it organisational change or something else, I will do it. I am very clear.

What is your reading of the situation in Delhi?

Everyone wants an elected government in Delhi. There are only two options - either government formation or election. If there is government formation, how it will happen is a million dollar question. If there are elections, when will they be held, what is the LG's opinion, what is the legal remedy, can there be a minority government? I don't know. Therefore, our strategy is: we have to be ready for elections.

My main thrust is to organise party workers - the seniors, the youth, the ladies, the minorities. Delhi is a capital city that attracts people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttaranchal, Punjab, the North East and South India. By inviting them, I want to address their concerns and build their faith.

Our priority is to spread Modiji's mantra of good governance.

Why this delay in taking a call on Delhi?

The national election was our priority. Now that is over. One by one, we are taking up the issues. One is organisation. Second is election. I will talk to my MLAs, the seniors, the core group members and ask them what their view is. Things take time to take shape. I have been assigned a responsibility. I have to take everyone into confidence.

If elections are called today, what will be the main focus of the BJP's campaign?

Good governance. Sabka Vikaas, Sabka Saath. Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. The main focus will be good governance in Delhi.

Is the BJP missing a strong CM candidate this time?

We have a lot of leaders with us. Who knew Satish Upadhyay? But today everyone knows him. The party has a lot of talent. So we will find the best talent.

Is the BJP ready for polls in Delhi?

We have to be. We are a political party. We don't have any other option.

AAP has accused the BJP of trying to buy their MLAs.

Did we ask Binny to leave? Did we tell Shazia Ilmi to quit? Were we responsible for Yogendra Yadav's resignation? This is their fear psychosis talking. We have nothing to do with them. These are false allegations, they have no meaning.

In media reports, you are quoted as saying AAP has no vote-bank.

I don't say they don't have a vote bank. AAP was a momentary thing. It was a by-product of the Anna movement. People were fed up with the Sheila Dikshit government and they thought they had an option in AAP. And AAP got 28 seats. If this was their vote-bank what happened in the Lok Sabha polls? Around the country, their candidates lost their deposit in over 400 seats.

They did however increase their vote-share in Delhi .What is your strategy to deal with AAP?

AAP and Congress are the same. There is no difference between them.

The Congress has launched an aggressive campaign over the power crisis and price rise. How do you plan to counter that?

The Congress has no other option. My political strategy is very clear. This is a legacy of the previous government. With the Modi government taking charge, you will see that in the coming quarters, the people who are making fun of acche din, will have to eat their words. Action is more important than words. The Congress is frustrated. We are not threatened by them at all.

Is Arvind Kejriwal a concern for the BJP?
I don't see Kejriwal in isolation. Be it Kerjiwal, be it Congress, I see them as my Opposition. And the Opposition is a threat. more