‘We took welfare schemes to the grassroots level, will win Haryana’

KALRAJ Mishra the sitting BJP MP from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh, who is incharge of the party affairs in Haryana, talks to The Tribune reporter Vibha Sharma on the selection of Lok Sabha candidates, why it chose to repeat most and other issues. Excerpts:   

In the eight seats the BJP has declared nominees so far, you have hardly made any changes, except in Karnal. Why so? 

Why should we have changed anyone? The seats were decided on two factors — winnability and ‘samajik samikaran’. The sitting MPs were renominated on the basis of their performance in Parliament and other areas. I am sure they will emerge winners.     

The BJP had forged an alliance in Haryana during the 2014 elections. This time you have chosen to go it alone.    

Last time our organisational structure was nothing like it is today. We were able to win in 2014 with not too much ‘parishram’ (effort) because of the Modi wave. Now too we are contesting in the name of Narendra Modi whose government has benefited all - farmers, poorer sections and middle class. The government functioning has been totally transparent.This time, our ‘sangathan’ is effectively functioning right up to the booth level. The benefit of various schemes launched by the Centre and the Haryana Government are being communicated till the grassroots level. That's why I am sure we will win all seats.

The BJP seems to be again depending on non-Jat candidates. Don’t you think the Jats will be upset?    

There are candidates from all  castes. Our effort has been to give representation to all sections so that there is no social imbalance. The BJP is getting Jat as well as non-Jat votes. Our aim is to not make it a Jat versus non-Jat contest.

What about joblessness and farm distress?  

Considering the efforts made by the BJP government, I think the employment figure stands at more than two crore.  In Haryana, people have been given jobs on merit. The selection process has been transparent. This has never happened before. Farmers have been given unprecedented benefits. Apart from providing government jobs, we have been preparing the youth for employment in the corporate sector. We are also generating self-employment by running skill development programmes. In my constituency in Deoria, I organised three job fairs which benefited 2,600-2,700 persons. In today's world, you have to be a job provider, not a job seeker. Our efforts have been successful in this direction.