India: Delhi polls will spring a surprise, BJP’s Anurag Thakur says

Star campaigner for February 8 Delhi Assembly elections, Thakur was briefly banned from campaigning by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for violating the Model Code of Conduct over a controversial sloganeering in a rally. However, Thakur pleaded innocence to the ECI, saying he “had neither intended to create nor promote enmity between different religions, races, castes or communities”.

The son of former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Prem Kumar Dhumal has assured the citizens of Delhi that within a month of BJP forming the government, the development would get a major boost.

Excerpts of an exclusive interview with Gulf News:

The BJP is going through a restructuring phase after losing power in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. What challenges await the party in Delhi and West Bengal?

The party has grown from strength to strength under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Not only has our vote share increased in the national and state elections, but so has our membership, making us the largest political party in the world. The task at hand is on winning the Delhi elections; all surveys are showing growing support for the BJP in Delhi. Under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Delhi’s infrastructure has crumbled. The pot-holed roads, lack of world-class hospitals, delays in extending the Metro Rail line and non-implementation of the Central government’s social schemes such as PM Awaas Yojna and Ayushman Bharat have convinced Delhiites that there is an urgent need to remove AAP.

Leading a march from Kolkata to Srinagar to unfurl the national flag at Lal Chowk on January 26, 2011, to visiting the city recently (post the abrogation of Article 370), what difference do you see?

In 2011, when I led over 5,000 youth to Srinagar, I was arrested along with veteran leaders Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Anant Kumar for trying to unfurl the Indian flag. In the present set-up, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J & K) held Block Development Council elections for the first time. Now, the laws of the Indian Parliament are applicable there, the Supreme Court gives justice to people and the Indian flag freely flies high. Investors and individuals see hope and potential in the region.

As a deputy to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, do you envisage more central government aid to J & K to sustain its economy?

In November 2015, the PM announced a package of Rs80 billion out of which more than 85 per cent of the funds were infrastructure-related. It’s our government’s top priority to ensure economic growth and development of J & K and Ladakh. To speed up the implementation of various programmes, Jammu & Kashmir Infrastructure Development Corporation (JKID-FC) was constituted to raise Rs8 billion. For developing the road infrastructure, work has begun on the Jammu Ring Road. Around 500 connectivity works including roads and bridges have been allotted under Gram Sadak Yojana. The full allocation of Rs9 billion has been released for upgradation of health care infrastructure. While a hundred per cent household electrification has been achieved in J & K, about 6,000 new houses were constructed during the last five months. Also, an investor summit will take place in J & K that will further see impetus in the development of the region.

You mentioned it’s time for Kashmiri Pandits to return to their homeland. How conducive is the atmosphere?

The fact that Kashmir is the rightful home of Kashmiri Pandits will never change and they will return. The abrogation of Article 370 is a step towards the normalisation of the Valley; it will pave the way for their return. I interacted with several Kashmiri Pandits and they back the decision (on Article 370) wholeheartedly and after decades of exile have begun to see hope.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection to 4.8 per cent for this year from 6.1 per cent. Is the economic slowdown a cyclical process?

Our economic slowdown is a cyclical process and it results out of both adverse domestic and international factors. Most of the major developing economies of the world have been facing their worst quarters but the positive for India is that in spite of the current slowdown, we will again be growing at 7 per cent and more.

Our macroeconomic indicators are fundamentally strong — inflation barring the last couple of months has been in the mandated range of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the past five-and-a-half years. India’s foreign exchange reserves have been touching new highs every month. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into the country have been at a record high as well.

Further, the corporate tax rate cut announced by Sitharaman a few months back will lead to increased investment by the domestic and foreign companies. Our corporate tax rate of 15 per cent for newly manufactured domestic companies are one of the most competitive tax rates in the world and this move will lead to the revival and spurt of our economic growth and development.

While you wished to become a cricketer, your father wanted you to join the army. Have you fulfilled his wish to some extent on being commissioned as an officer in the Territorial Army in 2016?

It was a childhood dream to play cricket. However, life is a journey and I have taken on roles as my country and the party has desired. Anyone can serve the society and the country in any sector; they need not be in electoral politics. In fact, by paying our taxes, following traffic rules, helping those in need, standing up against corruption and practicing swachhta (cleanliness); we are contributing to the nation.”