UP transport minister Swantantra Dev Singh, who was appointed state BJP president —fourth party worker to bag top post in five years — on Tuesday insisted nationalism was his ideology and he doesn’t wear his caste on his sleeves. Hours after his appointment, he spoke exclusively to TOI’s Rohan Dua at UP Sadan in Delhi. Excerpts
From Laxmi Kant Bajpai in 2014 to Keshav Maurya in 2017 and Mahendra Nath Pandey in 2019, BJP in UP has kept its thrust on caste by keeping Brahmins buoyed and now OBCs happy with your selection?My OBC background did not sway my selection. It was my nationalistic credential that propelled me to the top. Caste politics has to end in UP. The 2019 win and even our 2014 and 2017 victories had the unmistakable mark of nationalism.
How crucial is your appointment as state BJP chief before 12 bypolls in UP?In BJP, karyakartas matter, not individuals. We are fortunate to have an unparalleled popularity in PM
Narendra Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath. And this coupled with hard work will spell success in bylls.
How will BJP handle a restructured and rejuvenated BSP, if not SP?Both SP and BSP are decimated. They were routed because they used caste combinations to run goondaism and favouritism and polarised a vote-bank. Caste is important only when development schemes don’t reach the right people.
Most UP BJP chiefs like Kalraj Mishra, Mahendra Nath Pandey, Keshav Maurya have moved on to hold key posts at the national stage. Does the post open the doors to a bigger platform?No individual thinks like that in BJP. We work hard like a family and rewards are distributed like in a family.
Will Ram temple or development be your top priority?Ram Temple is an issue of faith. It’s being dealt with legally and we are leaving no stone unturned to back it. Development has been the core issue of our party and it will top my agenda.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Rohan Dua is an Assistant Editor with Times of India. As an itine...
Read MoreRohan Dua is an Assistant Editor with Times of India. As an itinerant reporter, he has walked a marathon from rustic farms to idyllic terrains across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to report extensively on the filial politics, village triumphs and palace intrigues. He likes to sneak into, snoop and sniff out offices for investigative scoops, some of which led to breakthrough probes in the Railgate, Applegate, AW chopper scam, IPL fixing and drug scam. His stories nailed Pakistan's involvement with damning evidence in two Punjab terror attacks at Pathankot and Gurdaspur.
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