Calling the TDP, National Conference, Lok Dal, Shiromani Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, NCP, DMK and others as the examples of dynastic politics, BJP president JP Nadda on Wednesday said the saffron party is against family politics and will stick to this principle even at the cost of losing seats.
Addressing a press conference in Bhopal, Nadda also said that as far as giving representation to sons of BJP leaders, who are associated with the party for a long time, is concerned, the BJP will promote party workers as per the policy. If BJP also starts to follow family politics then no worker will come forward to join the party, he said.
“It is necessary to understand the concept of dynastic politics in which the father is the president and the son is the general secretary (in a party). Like TDP, National Conference, Lok Dal, Shiromani Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, NCP, DMK and others, they are the examples of dynastic politics,” Nadda said when asked about BJP’s opposition to dynastic politics.
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He said the BJP would have won at least two bypolls in the party-ruled Madhya Pradesh but the party didn’t compromise on its stand (opposing dynastic politics). “In Madhya Pradesh, two to three bypolls were held. Their results were not very favourable. We could have won those seats. Our (state unit) president and the chief minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) are sitting here. They had told us that the seats (where byelections were held) will be in trouble. But we categorically told them that let it be. It is a policy and we have to follow it. Sometimes we have to do the operation and make things okay by applying Dettol. It results in little pain but we have to maintain the party’s internal democracy,” he said.
Nadda said the BJP will follow this policy (to not entertain dynastic politics) everywhere.
He said this policy was followed in Uttar Pradesh as well. “There are many such persons (dynasts) in Madhya Pradesh also. We have to make them understand by initiating dialogues and march ahead by giving work to just one person in a family.”
“No worker will come to the party (BJP) if it has to be run by a family. In Himachal Pradesh (elections) also we knew that we would lose one seat but we gave the ticket to a party worker,” he said. Answering a question about whether family members of BJP leaders, who are working in the party for a long time, can be given tickets in the next elections, Nadda said that it is a good thing that they are working for the party and he will inspire them and also raise them.
“But as far as giving representation to them (leaders’ sons) is concerned, policy-wise we will promote the party worker and will discourage them (sons of leaders),” he said. Criticising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his “kerosene” remark in London, Nadda said Rahul doesn’t speak in India and “therefore he is neither an Indian nor national. They are not even Congress and just confined to remain a brother-sister party. Therefore, he (Rahul) speaks in London as nobody listens to him here”.
Nadda said the Congress had lost poll deposit in 287 seats in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and it is the picture of India now. “Now nobody will stop him (Rahul) from going to Buckingham (London) or Nepal,” he remarked. On the issue of targetted killings of rehabilitated Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir, Nadda said BJP was not sitting “silent”.
“Whenever any terror incident takes place, then the bullet of the Government of India silences their (terrorists) bodies even before their bullets get silent as part of the government’s zero-tolerance policy (towards terrorism)”, he said. Nadda said panchayat elections in J-K were held peacefully that even Sheikh Abdullah or Farooq Abdullah (of NC) and even Mufti (the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) were not able to conduct.
“As the polls were conducted peacefully, they are frustrated. For the people who migrated from there (Jammu and Kashmir), the government is bringing them back by giving them jobs. We are also fighting but such incidents are unfortunate,” he said. Nadda said it (targetted attacks) is a temporary phase and Jammu and Kashmir will get the full statehood as stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister in Parliament.
Answering a question on the Gyanwapi Masjid Complex controversy, Nadda said the BJP believes in Constitution and courts. Nadda also highlighted the performance of the Modi government in the last eight years and of the Madhya Pradesh government led by Chouhan, saying the state had launched several welfare schemes including Ayushman Bharat, COVID-19 vaccination and Ladli Laxmi Yojna among others.
Earlier, Nadda was accorded a warm welcome on his arrival at the airport by BJP leaders.
