As all eyes are focused on the lucknow Cantonment constituency for the battle that has the veteran BJP leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi pitted against the new entrant Aparna Yadav of the Samajwadi Party who is also the daughter-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Joshi remains confident of her win.
In a conversation with The Pioneer, she terms the battle one sided.
“I have got work completed for projects worth Rs 300 crores in my constituency. I have twenty years of political experience and I have been a women activist for that length of time and have won the seat thrice — twice as an MP and once as an MlA. This is the sixth time that I am entering the battle fray. On the other hand I am pitted against an opponent who is coming from a party that is divided. It is a party which is also known for mafaism and corruption besides Aparna is still to prove herself,” she said.
On being asked whether her sudden switch from the Congress party to the BJP will be a factor which the voters will keep in mind, she said, “I switched party for the sake of Uttar Pradesh. The people were not accepting the Congress and look where the party is going by forging an alliance with the SP. I came to the BJP because people want good governance. I have always been performing well whenever I stood for elections. I have always got a good percentage in terms of votes polled. In the last elections when Congress polled 12 per cent votes I polled 42 per cent votes. When pitted against Rajnath Singh in the last elections I polled 28 per cent votes when the party polled 8 per cent votes,” said Joshi.
On what she plans to do for the constituency if elected, she said she was looking to improve the sewer and drainage system. “I have already done Rs 300 crore worth project work and I want to get in Rs 1,000 crore more for this work under a Central Government project. I want to also begin a Post graduate college for girls, and open important public amenities in the slum areas because most of the assaults which take place on women is because in the absence of the toilet. I have teamed up with an NGO from Gujarat that works with the Sulabh to establish and help in the functioning of these toilets,” she said.
When asked if her opponent was likely to get youth votes, she said it is not necessary. “When it was said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would get the votes of the youth it was Narendra Modi who walked away with the youth. Aparna has done nothing for the women who have been raped. Did her NGO stand in protestIJ.Has it worked for the cause of reservation of women in the State Government jobs which has been implemented in so many StatesIJ I have done enough work for women, holding several protests, forming human chains and so on,” she said.
She further pointed out that one cannot just get vote by being a youth icon. “One needs to work very hard and be grounded. I am able to connect with the people of my constituency and this is my biggest asset,” she said.