‘Congress is itself disinterested… Drop in Phase 1 polling was because its voters did not come out’: Rajasthan BJP chief C P Joshi

Opium farmers. (by Parul Kulshrestha)

Last year, angry over low government prices for opium, the farmers had held protests over three months. Around 30% of the opium farmers in Rajasthan are Rajputs, adding to the grumblings within the community over the BJP’s treatment of its members. They cite the sidelining of a candidate in the 2023 Assembly polls as well as the remarks by a BJP candidate in Gujarat about Rajputs which have triggered mass protests.

Mangilal Meghwal, coordinator of Bharatiya Afeem Vikas Kisan Samiti, says farmers’ patience with the Centre has run out. “Bhajpa ne afeem ki kheti ko note or vote ki fasal bana diya hai (The BJP has reduced opium to a harvest of notes and votes).

Last year, angry over low government prices for opium, the farmers had held protests over three months (by Parul Kulshrestha)

With Congress candidate Udai Lal Anajana taking up the issue aggressively, including posting videos of opium farmers’ “distress”, Joshi has been trying to assuage them as well as the Rajputs, roping in leaders from the community to campaign for him, such as Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

Joshi is also counting on the Modi government schemes, and taking heart from the fact that in the 2023 Assembly polls, the BJP won six of the eight segments falling under the Chittorgarh seat.

Excerpts from an interview on how the party is placed in the state, and he in his constituency:

There was a 6% fall in the turnout in Phase 1 of Rajasthan polls. Why do you think this happened?

People do not trust the Congress and its leaders. For instance, Rahul Gandhi has left (the family bastion of) Amethi and is now contesting from Wayanad (in Kerala). In Rajasthan too, Congress leaders say they are not interested in contesting. The low turnout is because Congress supporters were disappointed and did not come out to vote.

A lot of Congress leaders have joined the BJP and some of them have been fielded by the party. Do you think this has angered old BJP workers?

People are joining us as there is no leadership in the Congress… Even leaders seen to be close to Rahul Gandhi have joined us as they know the BJP can provide them with better opportunities and career prospects. There is no anger among our leaders as everyone follows the lead of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi.

The Opposition accuses the BJP of using Central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to exert pressure…

How many problems did Modi face while he was Gujarat CM? (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah was even put in jail. Till 2014, the Congress ruled dictatorially without the fear of law. The BJP, on the other hand, is just acting against corrupt politicians. This is completely in accordance with the law. The Opposition is scared as they are being exposed.

Communities like Rajputs, Jats and Meenas are believed to be angry with the BJP. Do you think this has brought local issues and communities to the fore in the elections?

For the BJP, there are only four castes – poor, women, farmers and youths. And they are with us. People are aware of the great work we have done on the ground with our policies. There is no such anger against Modi or the BJP.

At a rally in Banswara, the PM alleged that the Congress will distribute wealth to ‘infiltrators and those with more children’, if it came to power. The Opposition has accused him of communal polarisation.

It is the Congress that resorts to divisive politics by introducing special laws for a particular community. How can they say minorities have the first right to a country’s resources (the BJP has attributed this to a speech made by former PM Manmohan Singh)? As the PM rightly said, every citizen has a right to them. The Congress cannot give special privileges to a particular community.

How do you plan to tackle challenges in seats like Barmer, Sikar, Banswara and Nagaur due to the Congress’s alliance with regional parties?

We face no challenge. If there was, the Congress would not have allied with other parties… We will win all 25 seats in Rajasthan.

The Opposition has claimed that since becoming the BJP state president, you have been touring and not been able to focus on your constituency.

It is the public of my constituency who wanted me to go to other parts of Rajasthan so that the (previous) corrupt Congress government could be taken care of in the state Assembly elections. Railways, roads, electricity, and other infrastructure in my constituency is good and the Opposition cannot produce any kind of proof against this. I am connected to the ground.

The Congress has been raising the issue of opium farmers and their problems.

The BJP government has always worked for the benefit of farmers, in Rajasthan and across the country. In fact, the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government had written to the Centre to ban opium farming in Rajasthan. So these are just election tricks of the Congress, voters will not be taken in.