The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will contest all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. AAP's state incharge Sanjay Singh tells Somesh Jha about the party's strategy and also vouches for a reform in the reservation policy for OBCs and a need to protect the rights of minorities in the state. Edited excerpts:
It is said that if a party wins in Uttar Pradesh (UP), half the battle to form a government at the Centre is won. However, parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have not been able to win people's hearts in UP for more than two decades…
UP has been stuck between caste- and religion-based politics for the past 20 years. Corruption is widespread, development programmes are in tatters, power is an issue and unemployment has gone up. In such a scenario, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is a new ray of hope for the people of the state. We have seen the Congress and the BJP ruin the politics at the Centre. The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are identical when it comes to matters of law and order, and corruption. People are disappointed with all these parties. They will now vote on issues such as roti, kapda, makaan [food, clothes and housing], education, and so on. AAP is a better alternative for that.
So what would be the party's strategy?
We will bring the politics of muddas [issues] and not Rahul or Modi. How much has UP developed in the last two decades? Has there been any industrial development? Infrastructure and corruption are big issues. In the state Assembly, 190 members have criminal charges against them. Robbery, rape and all sorts of crime are rampant in UP, but what are the police doing about it? They are going after Azam Khan's buffaloes. Electricity, water and unemployment are some of the areas we will focus on.
You have closed the Lok Sabha candidature application process in 75 out of the 80 seats in UP. Is AAP satisfied with the candidates?
The interview process in UP is almost over. Yes, we are absolutely happy with the candidates. There are people from all backgrounds - doctors, engineers, technocrats, bureaucrats, politicians and social workers.
Are people from different political parties in UP entering AAP?
Yes, a few of them, not many.
What kind of a response have you got from the people of UP?
We have got a good response. Once we start our rallies in March, we will get to know where the party stands in the state.
Would Kumar Vishwas, who is likely to contest from Amethi, be the face of the rallies?
It is almost certain that Vishwas will fight from Amethi. Arvind (Kejriwal), Yogendra (Yadav) and I will hold rallies there.
AAP has been able to draw a good crowd in the cities but what about the rural areas?
After the Delhi Assembly election results, everyone knows about AAP. The jhaadu [broom] is a very popular symbol in villages now.
Mayawati said that considering dalits as aam aadmis is not right and that by doing so, they are not given the status they deserve. What do you have to say on that?
You cannot define a common man in terms of their caste or religion. When it comes to dalits, we know there are many disparities in their lives and hence they are more attracted to our party. This was also seen in the Delhi elections, where we won nine of the 12 reserved seats.
The BJP is looking to scrap religion-based reservations in UP. What is AAP's stance on this?
I think the bigger issue is unemployment. When there is no employment then what is the use of such a reservation system? This is just orchestrated by the politicians to create a divide among the people. At least, create some jobs first.
So do you think reservation is wrong?
Politicians use it as a tool to get votes. However, we do not oppose the current system of reservation in the country. But some of its aspects need to be reviewed.
What kind of reviews?
There is a lot of inequality in the current reservation system. For the other backward classes (OBCs), there is 27 per cent reservation. Other OBCs constitute 80 per cent of such population, but they get only 20 per cent of the jobs. However, castes such as Yadav, Lodh and Kurmi, which comprise 20 per cent get 80 per cent of the jobs. So, not everyone gets the benefit of such reservations. Only two or three stronger castes among them gain from the system.
So you mean the reservation is not evenly distributed. Would AAP work on that area?
It is not equally distributed. A separate policy should be framed in this area and one has to look into this again.
What about religion-based reservation?
The reservation system should not be misused to create segments in the society. There should be no social rifts because of the system.
Do you mean there should be no reservation based on religion?
I believe there should be no divide. However, the government should consider the recommendations of the Sachar Committee report on Muslims and bring them to effect. I will tell you how Muslims are facing injustice. Hindu dalits come under the scheduled caste category, but Muslim dalits don't. A Muslim sweeper doesn't fall under the category of dalits but his Hindu counterpart does. There should be no such distinctions. Even they (Muslims) should benefit from this.
According to an opinion poll by CNN IBN and CSDS, the BJP is set to win 40 to 49 seats in UP. Do you think that the Modi wave is capable of throwing out the SP and BSP?
I think if Modi comes to power, Ambanis and Adanis will rule the country instead of the aam aadmi. Modi's model has failed in Gujarat. It is more like a façade. The Gujarat government has debt amounting to Rs 1,45,000 crore. It stands 18th in terms of expenditure on education among all the states.
Are you saying there is no Modi wave?
If there was a Modi wave, then the BJP would have won in places where he had organised his rallies in Delhi. In Rohini, Ambedkar Nagar and Devli, all of these places, the BJP lost. He made people wear burkas to show Muslim support. I ask who is financing such big rallies? We couldn't even do one such rally in Delhi. And why doesn't Modi talk on issues such as poverty, water and unemployment? Why hasn't he ever given a single statement on the hike in gas prices? In his state, he tweaked the poverty definition by setting the line at Rs 10.80 in rural and Rs 16.70 in urban areas… He is even more dangerous than (Montek Singh) Ahluwalia, who had defined poverty at Rs 26 and Rs 32 in rural and urban areas, respectively.
It is said that if a party wins in Uttar Pradesh (UP), half the battle to form a government at the Centre is won. However, parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have not been able to win people's hearts in UP for more than two decades…
UP has been stuck between caste- and religion-based politics for the past 20 years. Corruption is widespread, development programmes are in tatters, power is an issue and unemployment has gone up. In such a scenario, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is a new ray of hope for the people of the state. We have seen the Congress and the BJP ruin the politics at the Centre. The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are identical when it comes to matters of law and order, and corruption. People are disappointed with all these parties. They will now vote on issues such as roti, kapda, makaan [food, clothes and housing], education, and so on. AAP is a better alternative for that.
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We will bring the politics of muddas [issues] and not Rahul or Modi. How much has UP developed in the last two decades? Has there been any industrial development? Infrastructure and corruption are big issues. In the state Assembly, 190 members have criminal charges against them. Robbery, rape and all sorts of crime are rampant in UP, but what are the police doing about it? They are going after Azam Khan's buffaloes. Electricity, water and unemployment are some of the areas we will focus on.
You have closed the Lok Sabha candidature application process in 75 out of the 80 seats in UP. Is AAP satisfied with the candidates?
The interview process in UP is almost over. Yes, we are absolutely happy with the candidates. There are people from all backgrounds - doctors, engineers, technocrats, bureaucrats, politicians and social workers.
Are people from different political parties in UP entering AAP?
Yes, a few of them, not many.
What kind of a response have you got from the people of UP?
We have got a good response. Once we start our rallies in March, we will get to know where the party stands in the state.
Would Kumar Vishwas, who is likely to contest from Amethi, be the face of the rallies?
It is almost certain that Vishwas will fight from Amethi. Arvind (Kejriwal), Yogendra (Yadav) and I will hold rallies there.
AAP has been able to draw a good crowd in the cities but what about the rural areas?
After the Delhi Assembly election results, everyone knows about AAP. The jhaadu [broom] is a very popular symbol in villages now.
Mayawati said that considering dalits as aam aadmis is not right and that by doing so, they are not given the status they deserve. What do you have to say on that?
You cannot define a common man in terms of their caste or religion. When it comes to dalits, we know there are many disparities in their lives and hence they are more attracted to our party. This was also seen in the Delhi elections, where we won nine of the 12 reserved seats.
The BJP is looking to scrap religion-based reservations in UP. What is AAP's stance on this?
I think the bigger issue is unemployment. When there is no employment then what is the use of such a reservation system? This is just orchestrated by the politicians to create a divide among the people. At least, create some jobs first.
So do you think reservation is wrong?
Politicians use it as a tool to get votes. However, we do not oppose the current system of reservation in the country. But some of its aspects need to be reviewed.
What kind of reviews?
There is a lot of inequality in the current reservation system. For the other backward classes (OBCs), there is 27 per cent reservation. Other OBCs constitute 80 per cent of such population, but they get only 20 per cent of the jobs. However, castes such as Yadav, Lodh and Kurmi, which comprise 20 per cent get 80 per cent of the jobs. So, not everyone gets the benefit of such reservations. Only two or three stronger castes among them gain from the system.
So you mean the reservation is not evenly distributed. Would AAP work on that area?
It is not equally distributed. A separate policy should be framed in this area and one has to look into this again.
What about religion-based reservation?
The reservation system should not be misused to create segments in the society. There should be no social rifts because of the system.
Do you mean there should be no reservation based on religion?
I believe there should be no divide. However, the government should consider the recommendations of the Sachar Committee report on Muslims and bring them to effect. I will tell you how Muslims are facing injustice. Hindu dalits come under the scheduled caste category, but Muslim dalits don't. A Muslim sweeper doesn't fall under the category of dalits but his Hindu counterpart does. There should be no such distinctions. Even they (Muslims) should benefit from this.
According to an opinion poll by CNN IBN and CSDS, the BJP is set to win 40 to 49 seats in UP. Do you think that the Modi wave is capable of throwing out the SP and BSP?
I think if Modi comes to power, Ambanis and Adanis will rule the country instead of the aam aadmi. Modi's model has failed in Gujarat. It is more like a façade. The Gujarat government has debt amounting to Rs 1,45,000 crore. It stands 18th in terms of expenditure on education among all the states.
Are you saying there is no Modi wave?
If there was a Modi wave, then the BJP would have won in places where he had organised his rallies in Delhi. In Rohini, Ambedkar Nagar and Devli, all of these places, the BJP lost. He made people wear burkas to show Muslim support. I ask who is financing such big rallies? We couldn't even do one such rally in Delhi. And why doesn't Modi talk on issues such as poverty, water and unemployment? Why hasn't he ever given a single statement on the hike in gas prices? In his state, he tweaked the poverty definition by setting the line at Rs 10.80 in rural and Rs 16.70 in urban areas… He is even more dangerous than (Montek Singh) Ahluwalia, who had defined poverty at Rs 26 and Rs 32 in rural and urban areas, respectively.