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Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is all set to fight his maiden Lok Sabha election from Porbandar and is confident of winning by a “margin of more than five lakh votes”.
In a conversation with CNN-News18, the minister said he had a long association with Porbandar and his strategy to win polls was to visit villages on foot and meet voters.
“I have held multiple portfolios and responsibilities in the organisation in this region. From being the in-charge of Saurashtra to holding meetings with every ‘mandal’, I am a tried and tested Karyakarta. I am also a believer in Gandhian philosophy and in order to save the same, I had carried out a 150-km-long padyatra,” he said.
Asked if he was ready to fight polls, Mandaviya said he had always abided by the party’s directive. “I was an MLA and was then given responsibility within the organisation. Then the party decided that I should be a member of the Rajya Sabha for two terms, so I went there and performed my duties. I was given various organisational responsibilities, which I duly fulfilled. Now, the party has decided that I should contest elections so I have hit the ground running. I’m working towards securing a win from Porbandar with a margin of no less than five lakh votes,” he said.
The minister, who has picked low-profile campaigns over big rallies for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, said it was a conscious decision.
“I have decided that I will be doing as many padyatras as possible. I go to 4-5 villages in a day, get off at the entry point and walk through the entire village, seeking blessings from the elders. I then go to the local temple to seek blessings. At a common point, I address the public and make them aware of the Modi government’s schemes like Ayushman Bharat, Kisan Samman Nidhi, and Awas Yojana. In the village, I address a small gathering and tell people how they can benefit from the work done by the Modi government. Keeping the campaign simple makes it easier for everybody, including those who are part of the organising team,” he said.
Mandaviya added: “I want to fight the polls with minimum expenses so that we can focus most on delivery and connect. I will show people how this can be an effective model.”
The minister also hit out at the opposition for saying BJP will win only 150-180 seats. “Their job is to just say something because they do not have any agenda and neither do they have any connect with people. The kind of connect Prime Minister Narendra Modi has with the public is something I have witnessed first-hand. The connect on ground is going to be the biggest difference between us and the opposition. And this is something which gives us confidence that the BJP will get 370+ and NDA will score 400+ in the upcoming elections.”
He also said the opposition’s allegations about democracy and the Constitution being in danger were baseless. “We are not a party that has murdered democracy or imposed Emergency. Modi-ji, as a leader, has always advocated for safeguarding the principles of the Constitution. He is strengthening democracy and it is there for the entire country and the whole world to see. India is emerging as a very strong democratic force, and that is the basis of the formation of a New India.”
Asked about the opposition being targeted by central agencies like the CBI and ED, Mandaviya asked if no action should be taken against people who are corrupt. “Why are they scared? If you have not done anything wrong, there is nothing for you to fear. But if you have been on the wrong side of the law, it will eventually chase you.”
He added: “The agencies do their job in every government and their job is to act against the corrupt. Why should one question the timing or motive behind it? The agencies are simply doing their job.”
Mandaviya also took on the opposition over the EVM row, saying they had a habit of blaming everyone except themselves for their incompetency.
“When the opposition wins elections in Karnataka or other states, then the EVMs are okay. Else, they will put the entire blame on EVMs. The opposition has realised that they are losing very badly in the election, and therefore, they are looking for an alibi. Election Commission has invited these people multiple times and asked for a demo or at least inform them how they think EVMs can be hacked. Nobody has done anything so far. When they realise that they are on the verge of losing, they start blaming EVMs. After losing elections, they blame EVMs and in places where they win, they are silent. How will such an attitude be accepted?”
The health minister shared the prime minister’s vision on Viksit Bharat, calling him a “visionary leader”. “PM Modi looks at things from a larger viewpoint, and has this excellent ability of being far-sighted. As an example, I would like to tell you that when I was an MLA 25 years ago, even then PM Modi had insisted that all of us get active on social media. He had predicted that social media will become an extremely important tool in the years to come. Now, we can see what he meant. Similarly, when he spoke about Viksit Bharat, he put the thrust on key areas like poor, farmers, and youth. This is going to form the solid base for a developed India in 2047,” he said.
Mandaviya added: “I can say with enough confidence after being on the ground and campaigning extensively that I will win with a margin of over five lakh votes and BJP will score 370+, NDA will score 400+ and we will have a third term led by PM Modi.”
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