[Interview] We Are Expecting 12 Seats In Telangana: BJP's Malkajgiri Candidate, Eatala Rajendar

Swarajya met Eatala Rajender at his residence a few days back while visiting Malkajgiri to see how the three-cornered battle in the constituency is shaping up.

The following are edited excerpts of the interview-

How has the response to your campaign been? Do you see good support for the BJP?

We have just a few days left in the campaign. I have been campaigning here since 67 days. It's been going very well. Through the 'Ab Ki Baar 400 Paar' slogan PM Modi has set a trend that BJP will come back to power again.

Everywhere I go, i.e, every village, division, town I go I am able to see support for Modi.

What is the reason for choosing Malkajgiri seat? The BRS states that you are not a local.

I have been here since the 1990s. I have businesses here. Karimnagar is my native district but we have a sitting MP there. So I chose Malkajgiri. That is why the decision was taken to contest from here.

Who is the bigger challenge for you in Malkajgiri—the Congress or the BRS?

Neither of them is a big challenge. But Congress is slightly ahead.

Will the fact that Revanth Reddy was the MP from here previously help the Congress?

He did not come even for a day. He did not get work done worth even 1 paisa. People of the constituency have forgotten that Revanth Reddy was their MP. That is the situation.

What is your vision for Malkajgiri? What are the things that you want to bring here in the next 5 years?

If I win, I will get the metro expanded till Medchal. We need flyovers till Thumkunta-Shamirpet. I will work to resolve the issue of road closures in military areas. (Medchal, Shamirpet and Thumkunta are at the northern ends of the city)

We would like to bring an IT corridor and an industrial corridor to generate employment. Houses for the poor, drinking water, drainage issues and cement roads are some of the other areas I would work upon.

The Congress won the Assembly elections just a few months ago, so what do you think has made people support the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections?

The situation has changed now. Also as far as Malkajgiri is concerned, it is the BRS candidates who won here.

What is your take on the Congress saying that the BJP will remove reservations?

This is wrong. Revanth Reddy should not have said this. 

If we were a party that wanted to end reservation, then why would we bring EWS reservation 70 years after independence? 

They should at least have some common sense.

Even after 70 years, there is still a lot of disparity. Still there is a gap. Only when these disparities reduce can anyone even think of the end of reservations. How long that will take we do not know.

Congress party does not have the right to speak on reservations. The first person to bring reservations was Shahu Maharaj. It was not the Congress.

Yes, before independence, reservations were discussed. The Simon Commission recommended reservation for Dalits. Ambedkar brought it up in a big way at the Round Table Conferences. 

But then reservations were not thought of for OBCs and so they did not get them.

Today Revanth Reddy is saying we will remove reservation. How will it go? 

When the Mandal Commission report was presented, Rajiv Gandhi asked if in today's time reservation based on caste should be provided. 

This is the kind of party saying that reservation will be removed.

Nobody has the strength to remove reservation and nobody has the strength to change the constitution to do it.

How many seats do you think your party will win in Telangana?

We are expecting 12 seats. 

Do you think the outreach made by the BJP to the BC, SC and ST communities before the Assembly elections last year is paying dividends now?

Definitely. We did not have a lot of time then. In these elections we had more time. That has helped us.