Non-performing MLAs should not get ticket: Thakur

Slams Rahul Gandhi for his roti remark

Terms Modi as people’s messiah, Advani as BJP’s guide

Raipur, September 13, 2013

BJYM’s national president and parliamentarian Anurag Singh Thakur feels that non-performing MLAs should not get ticket in upcoming assembly polls in Chhattisgarh. “The party has ignored candidature of such non-performers in the past and will do it in future too. The opportunity should rather be given to more eligible and deserving candidates,” he said while interacting with media persons at BJP state office Ekatma Parisar on Friday.

Advocating for youth he said more number of tickets should be given to young faces. He, however, clarified that he would not recommend any candidate from BJYM as potential poll candidate to senior leadership. “This is not my job. Let the state BJYM chief deal this matter,” he added.

Admitting that anti-incumbency factor might loom large during polls in Chhattisgarh he said the party should select poll candidates carefully.

Asked how his party would seek vote in state in the backdrop of grafts, scams, red-tapism and allegations of bad governance, he said people were satisfied with BJP’s performance and would surely give it mandate for the third time. “We will make a hat-trick in state. The Congress lacks leaders. It is losing in Centre as well as in states this time,” he added.

Asked why BJP lost in Himachal Pradesh he said it happened due to infighting and wrong distribution of tickets. When pointed that Chhattisgarh BJP too was polarised he said the party unit was very well united.

Asked his take over Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s recent appeal to people in Udaipur (Rajasthan) to cast their vote to his party after eating full roti (chapatti), Thakur said it was a shameful remark as the Congress scion did nothing for people in past nine and a half years of his party’s regime at Centre.

“Sometime back, three youth – Umar Abdullah, Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi got significant post in their respective parties. The first two became chief minister of their states, but failed to perform as they resorted to appeasement politics. Gandhi too failed to meet public expectations,” he said.

“In past two terms, the Congress pushed India’s growth rate below 5%. It is responsible for price rise and country’s deteriorating economy. There are over 50% malnourished people and 70% anaemic women in India. Last year, the Congress allowed foodgrains kept in open to rot, but did not distribute them to the poor.  Ironically, it has recently passed food security bill in the parliament. It is sheer vote politics,” he added.

On stalemate between BJP patriarch LK Advani and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi over PM post he said while the former was party’s guide, the latter had emerged as messiah of the people. On self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu he said law never discriminate between sadhus and common people and was same for everyone in the country.