Subhash Barala tells THE WEEK the BJP will achieve its target of at least 75 seats.

Subhash Barala tells THE WEEK the BJP will achieve its target of at least 75 seats.

Subhash Barala tells THE WEEK the BJP will achieve its target of at least 75 seats.

The ruling BJP is confident of a victory in the coming Assembly elections in Haryana, hoping to ride on the momentum provided by the massive victory in the Lok Sabha polls and the clean image of Chief Minister M.L. Khattar.

In an interview with THE WEEK, Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala says the party is banking on the work done by the Khattar government in the last five years, remarking that it has set new standards in transparency.

Barala hit back at the criticism of the BJP harping on Article 370 and NRC in the Assembly elections. He said the BJP was well within its rights to refer to Article 370 in Haryana since soldiers from the state have given up their lives to maintain peace in Jammu and Kashmir. Barala also said that there was nothing wrong in proposing NRC for Haryana since it is important to weed out the residents who are not Indian citizens.

Excerpts from the interview:

How do you see the BJP's prospects in the coming elections?

We are fully prepared. We have earned the trust of the people with the work we have done in the last five years. We have worked for the common man, for the poor. Our government has focused on development, and it has set new standards in transparency. Every section has benefited. I am fully confident that the people of Haryana will repose faith in us yet again and we will achieve 'Mission 75'.

What is the thought behind setting a target of 'Mission 75'?

Our performance in the Lok Sabha elections showed how much the people were in favour of the BJP coming to power. We are expecting the same kind of results in the state election. Hence the target of winning at least 75 seats.

What are the issues in these elections?

State-level issues will be important in this election. We have brought in transparency into the system and have provided an honest government. Our chief minister has a clean image. Every section of society has benefited from the government's policies. These are the issues on which the people will make their decision.

Who will be the face of the BJP in this election: Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Chief Minister M.L. Khattar?

Since it is an Assembly election, the chief ministerial face is that of our Chief Minister, Khattar ji. And since our party is in power at the Centre, there will definitely be talk about Modi ji and the work done by the Central government. We are a national party, and the national leaders are bound to be projected in the election.

The BJP's critics have questioned why you should raise issues like Article 370 or NRC in this election.

Are we not citizens of this country? The opposition should answer this question. Haryana is a state in India, hence it is but natural that Article 370 or Article 35A or NRC are discussed here. With regard to Article 370, since it pertains to Jammu and Kashmir, it is our jawans who give up their lives to maintain peace there and to protect the people from the nefarious designs of Pakistan. If our youth give up their lives in the line of duty in Jammu and Kashmir, we are well within our rights to discuss issues such as Article 370 in Haryana.

Also, why should we not discuss NRC in Haryana? Should we not find out who lives in our state, who is a bona fide Indian citizen and who is not?

How do you look at the opposition in the state?

The opposition parties are a much weakened force since the BJP has succeeded in ending the hegemony of the handful of political families who controlled the politics of the state. These leaders wielded influence in certain pockets and enjoyed disproportionate importance in state politics and also at the national level.

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