BJP candidate Kantilal Amrutiya: ‘While I jumped into Morbi sewage, Congress and AAP workers were sitting on river bank and giving interviews’

Politics is a means of serving the people. That remains so even after one is elected an MLA. It can’t be a means of making money. I am fortunate that over the past 35 years, God has given me and my supporters a lot. I never intend to make money from politics and the reason is my businesses are doing well. Politics is my hobby and working for people is a passion. My livelihood comes from business. So even after losing (in 2017), I hadn’t lost hope. Instead, I focused more on serving the people. I kept my office open all these years.

Then what about career politicians?

Those who are well-to-do, whose families run business, come into politics. They can render service to people. On the other hand, there are also people whose loyalty doesn’t last long. If someone wants to take something home while being in politics, that’s not going to happen as people have become aware. Rather than accepting such politicians, people hate them. Thus, only those with principles can survive in politics. For example, if I were a Gandhian, my MLA salary would be sufficient for me. But people should know this. If you are earning from business, let them know. But those pretending to do something else while seeking gains from politics won’t survive.

What did you do when you were not an MLA during the last five years?

I kept my office open all the time. I visit villages once in six months, and help people in times of illness. I work for 18 hour daily. People’s love for me increased a great deal as I was never merely an MLA for them. I was connected with them. So, they were sitting there, waiting for me to come back… Two years later came Covid-19 pandemic. We set up 3000 beds at 13 different places, gave free medicines through the community.

I proposed the idea and the community responded. Our industrialists installed an oxygen plant. If I spent Re 1 to do this, the community spent the balance Rs 99. Later, I organised a Bhagwat katha by Bhaishree (Ramesh Oza, a popular kathakar). I went to villages to invite people to this khata. Everyday, 35,000 to 40,000 people used to dine there. Then, when the cows were affected by lumpy (skin disease), we prepared 108 tonnes of sukhadi (a sweetmeat preparation of wheat flour, ghee, jaggery etc) and fed them to cows. Many tins of ghee remained surplus after preparing sukhadi. I added an equal number of them and sent one tin each to villages to be used as divel (oil for lighting lamp in religious places).

What were the reasons for your defeat in 2017?

Patidar quota agitation and the subsequent agitations of Thakor community and the one launched by Jignesh (Mevani). There are voters of minority community here and yet I lost with a margin of 3,400 votes only. People didn’t clang plates as a mark of protest against me.

Will the Patidar agitation have any bearing on this election too?

The Patidar agitation has subsided now. People have got back to their routine work. The agitation will have no impact on this election whatsoever.

Following the collapse of the Jhulto Pul suspension bridge, you jumped into the river to rescue people. How do you view that disaster, given that your party besides being in power in the state also rules the Morbi municipality?

I did only one per cent of relief and rescue work while others did 99 per cent. Action will be taken against those who are responsible. In fact the government has already started action to give justice to people. It has set up a committee.

But do you think the incident has tarnished the BJP’s image?

People do feel pain about it. But elections also do come. Elections have to be conducted every five years. It (bridge collapse incident) is not going to defer the election. So, people thought that we are sad about it and therefore we will fight elections with simplicity. You must have observed that there is no garlanding, no drum beating or bursting of firecrackers. We are eating whatever simple food is available.

The state machinery allegedly took 18 minutes to reach the disaster site. Could the response time have been faster?

How could that be? How was that possible?

But the allegation is that a BJP function was then continuing on Shanala Road and that various agencies including police were busy there.

Whatever it might be, I was not attending that function. As soon as I came to know about the incident, I jumped into the river.

Are not people angry over the disaster?

No, they are not angry with me and you are observing it as I campaign.

But with the BJP?

Neither that also. You see how much effort the government put in. The Prime Minister called up within half-an-hour. We got double the equipment that was needed. Same with the number of rescuers. Kudarati bainu chhe (It happened naturally) but the government and we all responded to it.

The Opposition alleges that the bridge collapsed due to government’s negligence.

The Opposition is performing its duty, isn’t it? With me, workers of Congress or Aam Aadmi Party should also have jumped into the sewage of Machchhu river. But did anyone of them did that? They were all sitting on the river bank and giving interviews.

Oreva Group (Ajanta) of Jaysukh Patel was given the contract of operations and maintenance of the Morbi bridge. While campaigning, you are telling people how his father Odhavji Patel had offered financial resources to you for rescue and rehabilitation work after the 2001 earthquake.

The government will certainly make decisions that have to be made. Odhavjibhai was dedicated to public service. He has rendered distinguished services in Morbi district. There is no doubt about that. It doesn’t mean that his contributions go waste because of this incident.

The BJP has fielded you in place of Merja, a minister. While it may not be mandatory, he is not seen campaigning with you. Is there any discord?

Brijeshbhai is our senior karyakarta (worker) and we need his services. He attends my campaign meetings and delivers speeches. The rest of the campaigning is our responsibility.

You have been elected MLA five times already. What are your goals now?

I want to continue serving people in my style, touring my constituency, helping people. Bypasses to national highways, some bridges, making drinking water arrangements, making water available to industries – these are some of the big tasks I want to undertake after becoming an MLA. I don’t make false promises. You must have observed that people are not giving me lists of problems they are facing. Nor are they seeking accounts of work I have done. That is because they have trust that I will go back to them after the election and do their work even as others made only promises to them for three-four years but did little work.

Do you think you deserve to be made a minister should you win?

That is for the party to decide.