Haryana BJP chief Badoli: ‘Wrestlers’ stir was also inspired by politics… Vinesh Phogat was honoured by govt. Hooda just does politics’

The BJP had won all 10 seats in Haryana in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but its tally fell to just five in 2024. How do you explain this?

We lost 13 lakh votes in 2024 as compared to 2019. But parties like the JJP and BSP got decimated, and their votes got diverted to the Congress. So the Congress gained 26 lakh votes. That made the difference. If you look at the 2024 results and compare them in terms of Assembly seats, we are ahead in 44 seats and the Congress in 42 seats. The BJP will get its committed votes this time, and the Assembly results will be different. We will get the majority.

Do you think not having an alliance with the JJP damaged the BJP’s Lok Sabha prospects in Haryana?

One plus one does make two. But the JJP lost its own votes, as its voters had decided to vote for the Congress. So it would not have benefited us if we had gone for an alliance with them in the Lok Sabha polls.

It was being said there was “anti-incumbency” against Manohar Lal Khattar as the CM, which led to the change of guard in the state before the Lok Sabha polls. Was that also a reason for the party’s setback?

Khattar sahab gave a new direction to Haryana. He gave a new model of development and gave justice to the poor. He provided jobs to people. He functioned as per (the principle of) “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas, Sabka Vishwas”. Not one official can claim that officials benefited through corruption. Everything was done transparently under the Khattar government. It was Congress that set a false narrative of anti-incumbency against him. He was replaced because he was to be given a larger role for the country. And the country as well as Haryana will benefit with him as a Union minister now.

Did the year-long farmers’ movement during 2020-21 affect the BJP’s prospects in the Lok Sabha polls?

Whenever there is a movement, it will adversely affect the ruling party. Our government was in power at the Centre and in the state. Naturally, there was an impact. We tried our best to convince farmers. They were misled and stayed on the streets for 13 months. But today they see the reality. Today, they come to us and say they want insurance for their crops. Haryana buys 23 crops and has guaranteed their purchase at MSP (minimum support price).

We have shown it through our actions. But they were misled that they should demand it in writing. Those agitating think the government should function as per them. We could not convince them at that time. The BJP government has given Kisan Samman Nidhi. We have worked for farmers like no government has done. We have given 1.45 lakh jobs to the youth. They (Congress) is a “bharti roko gang (stop employment gang)”.

Do you think things would have been better if the government had made efforts to convince the farmers to end their agitation early on rather than waiting for one year before repealing the farm laws?

We tried a lot, but the Congress kept misguiding the farmers. We were unable to convince farmers of one region. Farmers in the rest of India understood and did not protest.

Do you think women wrestlers’ protests last year over alleged sexual assault by then BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh also hurt the party in Haryana?

The wrestlers’ movement was also inspired by politics. Look at how Vinesh Phogat was honoured by the government. Bhupinder Singh Hooda just does politics over it. The respect Vinesh and others have got under the BJP government they never got under the Congress.

Vinesh Phogat with former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. (Express)

Are you alleging the wrestlers became a “pawn” in the hands of the Congress?

Their sit-in protest and never talking to the government strengthened the Congress. The Congress used them to become strong, but did nothing to empower them.