Yogi Adityanath is our leader, his efficient leadership is a point of discussion in the entire country: UP Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma

Dinesh Sharma (second left) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh and then Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik (left) during the Vijaya Dashmi celebrations in Lucknow in October 2016 (Image: Reuters/Pawan Kumar

Dinesh Sharma, the Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, is unequivocal in his support for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, under whose leadership he says, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win the 2022 assembly elections by a bigger margin than it did in 2017.

Speaking to News18’s Aman Sharma, the Deputy Chief Minister slammed Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, for misleading people on vaccination. Leaders like Akhilesh sat at home during the pandemic rather than help people, he alleged. Edited excerpts:

Q. The opposition has raised a lot of questions about divisions in the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and about issues between CM Yogi Adityanath and Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya.

A. Those wanting to spread misinformation can do anything, but they should first study and research the BJP. In the BJP, there is neither matbhed (difference of opinion) nor manbhed (differences of the mind). Here, our tradition is that everyone can put forward his point of view but once when a decision happens at the level of our top leadership, everyone accepts it jointly and works together. Yogi Adityanath is our leader and be it me or Keshav Prasad Maurya, we are working under his leadership very effectively.

Q. So the 2022 state election in UP will be fought under Yogi Adityanath’s leadership?

A. From where has this question even come up? There is no such issue at all. Yogi Adityanath’s efficient leadership is a point of discussion in the entire country. The way Yogi Adityanath has performed, our national general secretary (organization) BL Santhosh has issued a statement. Defence minister Rajnath Singh has also issued a statement. Arun Singh, our national general secretary, has issued a statement officially as well. After all this, such a question should not even arise.

Q. What is your assessment of the election ahead?

A. I think no one has any doubt that the BJP is coming back to power in UP in 2022 with an even bigger number of seats than in 2017. This is the people’s will as well.

Q. Between the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress, who is your main competitor?

A. The hearts of all the opposition parties and their aim is one – to remove Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath. But hatao to kisko lao? They have no answer for that. All these parties have in the past, got together under various disguises, and fought elections against us – and lost badly each time. They sometimes do public alliances and sometimes are in a hidden alliance to fool the people.

Q. The opposition has been targeting the BJP in UP on the COVID-19 pandemic, saying people are angry against your government.

A. During the pandemic, leaders of the opposition parties were sitting at home and tweeting away. To protect themselves, they did not even visit their villages or their constituencies. But BJP workers were out to help people. Many of our cadre and functionaries were infected, many lost their lives, we lost MLAs and three ministers. But we did not sit at home. CM Yogi Adityanath got infected and post his recovery, went to every district across UP and checked the facilities for himself. Ministers remained on duty, as in charge in one-two districts each. This is the difference between us and them. This is their shortcoming. They did not go out to help people. Could they not run community kitchens or distribute masks, sanitisers and medical kits like the BJP did?

Q. Vaccination was slow in UP to begin with but has caught pace now.

A. There was a time when vaccination suffered as the Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said this is BJP’s vaccine, exhorting people not to take it, and that he would take the jab once his government came to power. SP leaders also issued statements like vaccines will lead to disease and infertility. Complete misinformation was spread. When they saw that the vaccine was being praised all over, they raised questions about its availability. When that also did not work, they said vaccines should be free. When the vaccine was made free for all, they said this is Modi and Yogi’s politics. The Samajwadi Party tried to damage the vaccination exercise, and Congress too tried to do the same by raising questions on its credibility. They should have avoided this, but they chose to misinform. They could have instead chosen to motivate people to get vaccinated and help them register but they did not do so; they only criticized us.

Q. What are your main agenda points as you go into elections?

A. Record investment has come into UP and many numbers of jobs have been given and generated in the private sector. Expressways are coming, farm loans were waived, and we have cleared record sugarcane dues and operated all sugar mills in the state. Cities like Varanasi and Ayodhya are being transformed. No new tax was imposed on the public in the last four-and-a-half years. On the COVID front, we have ventilator and oxygen beds in all districts now, over 480 oxygen plants are being set up and many are operational already. If you see 4-5 years of our government in UP, we have not just worked as a political party but one with dedication towards people.