Delhi statehood demand a ploy to hide failures: BJP's Gautam Gambhir

I was impressed with the way the Prime Minister has worked over the past five years and the way he delivered. I was inspired by him and joined the BJP

He is known for his aggression on the field, and off it, if need be. But Gautam Gambhir is learning to be calmer. In a conversation with Thirumoy Banerjee, the BJP East Delhi candidate talks about why he joined the BJP and calls the AAP's statehood demand a sham. Edited excerpts:
 
Many felt your joining the BJP was long overdue. Did it happen because you were promised a ticket?

I don't know where that is coming from. How can having a patriotic outlook be equated with any political affiliation? If I made remarks on nationalism, that in no way meant that I was going to join a party. I always felt that I was going to join politics at some point. Now, the BJP has given me an opportunity to address real problems of the people, and hence I am here.

 

But why the BJP?

I was impressed with the way the Prime Minister has worked over the past five years and the way he delivered. He has shown that he can take the country forward, be it on national issues, or development. I was inspired by him and joined the BJP.
 
What is your vision for East Delhi?

I will never say I want to make Delhi a London or a Paris. My vision is to make East Delhi the best constituency in the capital — be it by addressing sanitation issues, or working on multi-level parking lots.

 
Do you think if Delhi becomes a separate state, it will benefit people?

Many parties have ruled Delhi in the past and nobody made such a demand. If anyone is pressing for full statehood for Delhi, it is only to hide their failures. It is a ploy to divert people’s attention from real issues, which have not been addressed.
 
Are you banking on your celebrity status to win, or is it the BJP’s vote base that you think will take you through?

People should forget that I was a cricketer. I played cricket with honesty, and I want to carry that into my politics. Also, I feel people here will vote for a party that has a track record of delivering on its promises.

You were criticised for your recent twitter spats with Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah. Was the episode necessary?
 
I have already spoken about it. There is no way anyone can say this country needs more than one prime minister. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, India will always have one prime minister. I stick to what I tweeted.