The Week India - July 29, 2018

JULY 29, 2018 • THE WEEK 21

act must stop, and gave them mecha-
nised rickshaws. I went up to the Su-
preme Court, made laws, and today
I am happy that the benefi ciaries of
the mechanised rickshaws are mostly
dalits and Muslims. Poverty does not
know caste and religion.

What has been the biggest chal-
lenge for you?
Th e time I felt hurt, even though I was
not at fault, was, when I was [BJP]
president, I was hounded [about the
Purti Group]. Nothing came of it. I
was not looking for a second term,
and I did not even want to become
president in the fi rst place. So, I said,
if the party is in diffi culty because of
me, I will leave the post. Truly speak-
ing, I had set up the sugar factory be-
cause farmers there were committing
suicide. I felt I should leave politics
and go back to the village.

Tell us about a work that gave you
satisfaction.
I believe that politics is not only for
power, but for social uplift, national
uplift and development. I am happy
when I fi nd people benefi ting from
my work.
Now, this 14-lane road connect-

ing [Meerut to] the NCR has been

built. So many people have told me

that I have saved them one hour in

the morning and one hour in the

evening. Th ey said they were obliged

to me. I have not obliged anyone.

It is people’s money, spent for the

people’s benefi t.

You underplay your political role.

You built a BJP government in Goa.

In Goa, all the parties that were elect-

ed had faith in me. I landed there at

midnight and asked them what can

happen and how it can. Th ey said do

this. I spoke to Manoharji (Parri-

kar) and Amit Shah. By 6am, I had

prepared the whole deal, at 7am it

was signed, and the government was

made. Th e Congress prabhari (in-

charge) woke up at 8.30am and

realised the government had been

formed.

Do you think you could have

formed a government in Karnata-

ka, like you did in Goa?

We should have estimated whether

we could form the government or

not. Th e other thing is that after the

court decision, the Congress and the

JD(S) [Janata Dal] went into hiding.

LANE GAIN

The Delhi-Meerut

Expressway

ARVIND JAIN

But, it is true that many were angry

and wanted to leave those parties. In

politics, all decisions are not success-

ful. Sometimes you win, sometimes

you lose.

How do you get along with your

opponents?

Many of my opponents, hardcore

opponents of the BJP, like (Oommen)

Chandy of Kerala, Mamata Banerjee,

(Arvind) Kejriwal, have a good word

for me. Th e reason is, whatever work

anyone wants of me, if it is in my

hands, if it is legal, I try to do it. Be-

sides, I am transparent. I have award-

ed contracts for 0 10 lakh crore. Not

one contractor has come to me, and I

have not taken a rupee from any-

one. I did it through e-governance.

Tender opens at 10am, and the order

is given at 1pm. I do not play politics

with anyone. Even my driver, my

secretary, my staff , all are happy with

me. I believe the biggest strength of

politics is human relationship. I do

not calculate in relationships.

Do you think the Shiv Sena and the

BJP will be allies in the 2019 Lok

Sabha elections?

In Maharashtra, there is no ideologi-