Dara Singh Chauhan said in the last 75 years of Independence, no government paid heed to the issues of OBCs. (Twitter)
Ahead of the September 5 bypoll, the OBC leader called INDIA alliance ‘aimless’ and said nothing would work in front of the charisma of PM Narendra Modi and chief minister Yogi Adityanath
Ghosi assembly constituency’s development and its transformation into Purvanchal’s ‘Adarsh’ constituency under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tops the priority list of Dara Singh Chauhan, BJP’s candidate from the seat.
In an interview to News18, the Other Backward Class (OBC) leader, who recently joined BJP after quitting Samajwadi Party, discussed his plans for the constituency, called anti-BJP alliance INDIA ‘aimless’ and also expressed his willingness to shed his image of being a turncoat, saying he won’t repeat the mistake.
Ghosi assembly constituency of Uttar Pradesh’s Mau district would go to poll on September 5. Samajwadi Party (SP) has fielded Sudhakar Singh against Chauhan from the seat where bypoll was necessitated after the resignation of Chauhan who joined the ruling BJP last month.
‘Will make Ghosi Purvanchal’s ‘Adarsh’ seat’
Chauhan said despite giving India several political leaders, the Ghosi assembly constituency is still one of the most backward. “Hence, under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi-ji and Yogi Adityanath-ji, our first step would be to connect the constituency to the mainstream to bring about development and make it Purvanchal’s ‘Adarsh’ (ideal) constituency if voted to power,” he said.
‘BJP gave identity and due respect to OBCs’
On a campaigning spree, the OBC leader said in the last 75 years of Independence, no government paid heed to the issues of OBCs.
“It’s during BJP’s regime, be it in the Centre or in states, that OBCs got an identity. It’s for the same reason that OBCs are more than willing to vote for BJP. I am happy that I, being an OBC leader, have been fielded from the Ghosi assembly seat by my party,” Chauhan said, responding to a question on BJP’s bid to woo OBC and SC voters. The Ghosi assembly constituency has around 60,000 Rajbhar voters, 50,000 Chauhan (Nonia-OBC), around 40,000 Yadavs (they are all OBCs) and 60,000 Dalits. There are around 90,000 Muslim votes.
‘Anti-BJP front INDIA is aimless’
Ghosi by-elections are being pitched as the first-ever litmus test for anti-BJP front INDIA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has decided to stay away from the bypoll and Congress has announced its support to SP.
On the efficacy of the INDIA front, Chauhan said nothing would work in front of the charisma of PM Modi and Yogi Adityanath.
“Narendra Modi-ji is going to be India’s prime minister for the third consecutive time, mark my words,” he said, while calling the anti-BJP coalition ‘aimless’. Chauhan said the way the BJP government is carrying out development work, people are getting benefit of welfare schemes and money is reaching the beneficiaries directly.
Shifting loyalties? No more
Asked if his “lack of loyalty” could hurt his prospects, Chauhan said: “When I joined BJP, it was my OBC brothers who were happier than me. They are well aware and smart enough to understand that BJP is the future. I am sure that ignoring my image, they will vote me to power again.” The BJP leader said he won’t repeat the mistake and would stay with BJP forever.
In the 2022 assembly elections, Chauhan was elected MLA from Ghosi seat on an SP ticket by defeating BJP’s Vijay Rajbhar. However, in July this year, he resigned from his assembly membership and joined BJP. Chauhan entered politics with BSP in 1996, switched to SP in 2000, joined back BSP in 2009, joined BJP in 2015, then joined SP in 2022 and now comes back to BJP in 2023.
