No reason to complain for not getting ticket this time, says former CM
By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 13 Apr: Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and outgoing BJP MP from Garhwal (Pauri) seat, Tirath Singh Rawat today claimed that the political atmosphere currently prevailing in Uttarakhand is a clear indication that the people of the state just like their brethren in the rest of the country also want Narendra Modi back as Prime Minister with a record victory. He said that the people of the state are determined to contribute towards 400 seats for NDA in the ongoing parliamentary elections. Tirath Singh Rawat was addressing a press conference at BJP’s Election Media Centre here today. He claimed that the people have themselves seen and experienced the achievements of the double engine government in the state and therefore they are committed to make Modi the PM for the third straight time. This is also clear from the lethargic manner in which Congress is campaigning in Uttarakhand that the Congress candidates have lost hopes of winning on any of the seats here.
Sharing the details of his campaigning across the state, Rawat said that he has witnessed and felt during his interaction with the people from across the state that they are wholeheartedly behind the BJP. He also claimed that during his tour of the state, he felt that the development is the main issue for the people. The people have seen huge development in the country and the state and they trust Modi with even faster pace of developed. They also believe in Modi’s guarantee of a developed India by 2047. Even in Uttarakhand, they have witnessed immense improvement in road and air connectivity and for the first time after Independence, a new rail line is being laid in the hills which will initially connect Rishikesh with Karnaprayag and later also with Joshimath. Not only this, even a large number of inner roads in each constituency including his own constituency Garhwal (Pauri) have been constructed under PMGSY and other Central schemes. He asserted that during the elections, he has toured from Chakrata to Champawat. From Manat to Manglaur and everywhere the BJP has clear edge over the political rivals. People in the state believe that the target of over 400 seats for NDA also is not unattainable since they trust that if it is Modi, then it is possible. The feedback being received from the party workers across the state is not very different. BJP will win because people will vote for a developed India.
Tirath Singh Rawat claimed that the performance of the double engine government will become the basis of the record victory. The former Chief Minister said, the reasons behind making this claim are also very clear. A tremendous improvement in infrastructure and public facilities is being witnessed in the state under the overall leadership of PM Modi. He said, today there is no family which is not a beneficiary of any scheme of the Central or State Government. The BJP government is a government dedicated to the poor, with schemes like PM Awaas Yojana for houses to the poor, free electricity and water facility in that house, free ration for the next 5 years, free gas cylinder under Ujjwala scheme and free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh in case of falling ill under Atal Ayushman scheme. The result of Modi‘s special attachment to Uttarakhand is that despite being a small state in terms of geography and population, schemes worth more than Rs 2 lakh crores are being implemented here with the help of the Centre. He said that the train services from Rishikesh to Karnaprayag are expected to begin in 2026-27. Modi is also taking care of the food requirement of 80 crore people for the next 5 years since the Corona period.
Rawat claimed that the report card of Modi Government itself is a guarantee for continued development following the BJP’s victory in the Parliamentary Elections. Modi has also spoken in Kedarnath that this will be the decade of Uttarakhand. This is being taken seriously by the people as well as the state government. BJP will be the first party which has presented its report card before the people for the entire 10 years of its rule in the country.
Rawat said that for BJP, development is not a political issue and it stands even with the Opposition parties on the issue of development. He cited several cases where he as an MP raised the issues raised by the Congress and the Left parties in the Parliament and got them resolved by the government and for which, he has been felicitated even by the Opposition leaders. Modi has removed all discrimination based on region, caste, language, class and has brought the issue of development at the centre of politics. By removing Article 370, the campaign for a united India has been taken forward, earlier the soldiers had to look towards Delhi before taking up arms against terrorists and enemies. But Modi allowed him to give a befitting reply immediately. The wait of 500 years for Lord Ram temple is over and like the country, Ramraj will arrive in Uttarakhand too.
In reponse to a question why the party has not given ticket to him this time, the former CM said that BJP is a worker and cadre based party and for the party workers, it is the nation first, the party second and then the personal interest later. He added that he has already got more from the party that he had ever imagined. From a party MLC in undivided UP to becoming a Cabinet Minister in Uttarakhand and from the position of Party’s General Secretary to its State President and then the party MP and even the position of Uttarakhand’s CM though for a short reason and asserted that he has no reason to complain.
Co-media in-charge Rajendra Negi, State General Secretary of BJP Yuva Morcha Vipul Mandoli, State Vice President Archit Dabur, State Spokesperson Honey Pathak, Sunita Vidyarthi and Kamlesh Raman were among those resent in the press conference.
