‘Depot Bazar-wale doctor’ Rajeev Bhardwaj, BJP’s Kangra candidate, sees himself as a Pong Dam evictee

In a conversation with The Indian Express at his Depot Bazar home, he outlined his priorities for the Kangra parliamentary constituency.

Excerpts:

What are your priorities for the Kangra-Chamba region?

Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj: Connectivity, self-employment, tourism, health infrastructure and, of course, the complete rehabilitation of Pong Dam evictees are on my priority list. The Dhauladhar range in Kangra, one of the nearest snow-lines to human habitation in the world, holds immense potential for adventure tourism. Although four-lane highways linking Punjab-Kangra-Chamba are under construction, some remote areas are not properly connected.

As a Pong Dam evictee myself, I experienced the displacement when my Mangwal village was submerged during the Pong Dam construction in the 1970s. Many families are yet to receive the promised compensation. At least 7,743 cases of affected families awaiting land allotment are still pending with the Bhakra Beas Management Board. The settlement of these cases is on my priority list.

The BJP represents five and the Congress 11 Assembly segments in the Kangra parliamentary constituency. Does this equation make you nervous?

Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj: Not at all. It never came to my mind. I have been campaigning for the last two months in the entire constituency. I observed that people have made up their minds not only to make the BJP win the four seats in Himachal Pradesh but also to make Narendra Modi the prime minister again, with a thumping majority of 400 seats. Go to the field and talk to anyone. Everybody will tell you there is no substitute for Narendra Modi. The Modi wave is not only in Himachal but throughout the country.

You were given the ticket after ignoring incumbent MP Kishan Kapoor. How do you see this?

Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj: Kishan Kapoor has blessed me. He told me that I am the fittest candidate for the Kangra parliamentary seat. Kishan Kapoorji is confined to his house owing to ill health, but his phone rings 24×7 for party work.

Despite the significant presence of Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in the Kangra parliamentary constituency, the BJP has chosen a Brahmin face for this seat. Your comments?

Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj: No election can be won solely on the basis of caste, religion, status etc. This fact is very clear in the BJP. As our PM Narendra Modi says, he has only four castes: the youth, women, the poor and farmers. So there is no reason to say that candidates were selected based on religion or caste. I have been a BJP volunteer for the last 37 years. I spent almost a decade with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. I was given many responsibilities in the BJP afterwards. Fighting the parliamentary election is a new responsibility for me. Indeed, I am proud to have been born in a Brahmin family.

What would you like to say about your opponent Anand Sharma, fielded by the Congress?

Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj: I welcome him to the Kangra parliamentary constituency for this election. I have met him merely once in my life. It was only a few days back at a common place where both of us were present. I consider him like my elder brother. He is a senior politician. My best wishes to him.

The average turnout during the last six phases of the Lok Sabha polls was low. How do you see this?

Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj: I believe the scorching heat is one of the main reasons behind this. I would like to urge all the electors to use their votes to eelect a strong government on June 1.