Video Producer: Anubhav Mishra
Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
When Madhya Pradesh goes to polls on 28 November 2018, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be eyeing at fourth consecutive term as the chief minister. Fighting anti-incumbency against the saffron party, Chouhan is seen campaigning for the party across the length and breadth of the state.
To make the situation even more challenging, the Congress refused to give Chouhan a walkover in his constituency of Budhni and nominated Arun Yadav, a senior Congress leader, from the seat. But Chouhan seems unfazed and instead of taking Yadav head on, his son Kartikeya Chouhan seems to be leading the charge in Budhni.
Speaking exclusively to The Quint, Kartikeya laid down his campaign strategy, called out Rahul Gandhi for accusing him of ‘Panama Gate’ and claimed that the BJP would win over 200 seats in the state.
How big of a challenge is Arun Yadav?
The campaign is being driven by all the party workers and one of those workers is Kartikeya Chouhan. Arun Yadav is a senior Congress leader. I and all the members of the BJP respect him. Now that he has come to Budhni, we welcome him but we will contest this election with all seriousness.
What is BJP’s campaign strategy?
Be it women, senior citizens or any other section of society, they tell us the same thing: Keep your struggle alive and we will stand by you. As far as modern election tactics are concerned, I don’t consider any tactic outdated. Door-to-door campaign is still the most effective method. As far as youth are concerned, one can do street plays etc to reach out to them.
Does the Chouhan legacy add pressure?
Some people say that I am a result of dynasty politics. What they don’t realise is that I carry an additional weight of the ‘Chouhan’ name. If I join public service in any role, be it that of a lawyer or a politician, then definitely the pressure will increase. People have the same expectations of me as they had from my father. I will try to deliver on those expectations.
How would you respond to Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against you over Panama papers?
We respect the national president of the Congress because he is the national president of a party. But when the president of a national party makes such statements, then a question arises that what kind of leadership are Congress party workers following?What would a Congress worker think about their leader? Such statements not only hurt us but also tarnish his (Rahul Gandhi’s) own image.
Will Congress’ anti-RSS promises in the manifesto hurt the party?
The RSS and all of us belong to a nationalist ideology. Such points in a manifesto, according to me, are an attempt to malign the image of nationalism. RSS leaders and members have devoted their lives to the nation. And all the parties should at least have some respect for them. We oppose this point in their manifesto. It will definitely hurt them.
How many seats will the BJP win in Madhya Pradesh?
Ab ki baar, 200 paar. (We will win over 200 seats this time)
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