'Ram Mandir is not an election issue'

I’m not a chief ministerial candidate and Ram Mandir is not a UP poll issue, former BJP president Rajnath Singh tells The New Indian Express Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla in Teekhi Baat on IBN7.

Who’s leading BJP’s UP campaign? After all, Gadkariji said you’re not the CM candidate.

Gadkariji spoke after talking to me. I’ve always said I’m not a claimant for the CM’s post.

But as a central leader, aren’t you a PM candidate?

I’m not.

Why does BJP lack policy, slogan and ideology?

Show me a party that has policy, ideology and programme. BJP is the only party in India with its own policy, ideology and slogan.

Why is Uma Bharti from MP leading BJP in UP?

She has strong bonds with the state. You can’t say she’s from outside UP.

Is she a CM-claimant?

I can’t decide who’s a claimant, or will be the CM. MLAs will decide.

Is her backward caste a strategy to fight Maya?

No decision has been taken based on this. One thing I want to say is, if anybody has reduced backward caste reservations, it is the Congress-led UPA. As UP CM, the reservation system we put in place gave Muslims the most backward class status with more than 14 per cent reservation. AMU students welcomed our decision.

But BJP never believed in reservation politics.

It is not politics of reservation. It’s sociology.

Why induct Kushwaha into the party?

That’s a closed chapter.

Is he suspended?

He’s said that till he is proven innocent, he’ll not take our membership.

Should UP vote BJP?

Why shouldn’t they? If the people of UP compare the performance of the last three governments, it’s easily seen that only the BJP delivered good governance.

Then why did you lose?

For the six years there was an NDA government under Atalji’s leadership, there wasn’t not one corruption case reported.

You feel you can win on governance and caste, having conveniently forgotten Ram Mandir?

There was a shortfall in communicating what we did over the last six years to the grassroots; hence we could not get the desired support.

You’re playing the caste card in UP now?

There’s no question of playing class or caste cards, but it is true that caste is a reality of life in India. Our aim is that people should get their rights.

If Congress gives reservations to Muslims, what’s your problem?

We’re all brothers. And whosoever is socially and educationally backward should get the benefit of reservation, Hindu or Muslim.

So there couldn’t be reservations on religion?

There is no basis of differentiating on the basis of being Hindu or Muslim.

If there’s reservation for Hindus, why not for Muslims?

The Constitution does not allow reservation on the basis of religion. The UPA government is going against the Constitution just for votes.

But in UP, aren’t you dividing people on caste?

It’s BJP, not SP, BSP, or Congress. We don’t divide; we join people.

You forgot Mandir?

Mandir isn’t a poll issue.

Then what is?

Corruption is. It has reached a zenith in the Congress-led UPA regime.