6 min readGoddaMay 29, 2024 08:57 AM IST
First published on: May 28, 2024 at 07:41 PM IST
At 7.45 pm, a motorcade of 10-12 cars enters Karaun area, which falls under the Godda Lok Sabha seat, as a loudspeaker blares the BJP’s “Ab ki baar, 400 paar” slogan. Seated in a white luxury car is sitting BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who is surrounded by supporters as soon as he alights from the vehicle.
Among the supporters, one proclaims that he was once a supporter of the ruling JMM in the state, and is now firmly behind the BJP. As he asks Dubey why (actor-turned-politician) Shatrughan Sinha is not with him, the MP quips: “He has joined another party (Sinha is now in the TMC). Bulaana hai kya unhe? Abhi bhi mere dost hain (Should I call him here? He is still my friend).”
Almost an hour later, another actor-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari, the BJP’s North East Delhi MP who is contesting from the seat again, arrives to a rapturous applause from the crowd. “Chauthi baar Nishikantji ko Delhi leke jaana hai (We need to elect Nishikantji for the fourth time),” Tiwari tells the crowd.
On the sidelines of the public meeting, Dubey speaks with The Indian Express about his time in Parliament, his priorities for the constituency, and “corruption” in Jharkhand. Excerpts:
People in the Karaun area complain that you do not pay enough attention to their issues… but you still remain very popular. What explains this, your work or your accessibility?
But whom will the people vote for? Show me one household where there are no complaints… I know at least one lakh people in my constituency by name and can recognise them by face. I always say that (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi is like a departmental store while I am like a “parchune ki dukaan” (small grocery store). Whatever the PM gave, I got it for my constituency like a retailer. He gave us schemes worth Rs 1.5 lakh crores, some of which have been completed while others are in the pipeline.
While the construction of an AIIMS and an airport have started in Godda, other constituencies do not seem to be getting the same treatment.
The constituency remained backward and then the PM came up with the ‘Look East Policy’. As I said, I did all jugaad as the retailer to get the schemes here. The credit (for AIIMS and the airport) must go to Modi and the BJP. Another possible reason is that Godda is the land of Lord Shiva and the PM is also a devotee.
What is the biggest challenge in your area?
Like the PM, I am also of the view that the demography of the area has changed. Since 1947, Jharkhand (previously a part of Bihar) is the only state where delimitation could not be implemented despite a survey being undertaken in 2008. The Adivasi population has decreased by 11% across the state – the most in Santhal Parganas – while the Bangladeshi Muslim population has seen a rise as the family of Alamgir Alam (the minister who is under arrest) is giving them citizenship.
I am saying this with responsibility. Ab samay aa gaya hai ki Adivasiyon ko bachaane ke liye, Bangladeshi ghuspaithiyon ke dwara love aur land jihad na ho, uske liye humne kaha hai ki Christian missionaries aur RSS, dono ko haath milaana chahiye. (The time has come that the RSS and Christian missionaries work in tandem to save tribals from Bangladeshi love and land jihad). We will deal with the conversion issue within the tribal community later, but now is the time to save Adivasi culture…
During the Emergency, the RSS worked with the CPI(M) and helped all anti-Congress forces save the country from dictatorship.
A section of people describe PM Modi as ‘dictator’?
He is being abused every day on social media, but how many people have been sent to jail (because of it)? On the other hand, in Opposition-ruled states, can you tweet anything against (West Bengal CM) Mamata Banerjee, (Shiv Sena UBT leader) Uddhav Thackeray or (Tamil Nadu CM) M K Stalin? These are just examples. So, tell me who is the dictator? We have been in power for 16 years (10 under Modi and six under Atal Bihari Vajpayee) but have never even thought of amending the Constitution.
But the Opposition says that the BJP will change the Constitution if it comes to power again…
There is a reason for this. In places where the NDA has fielded a candidate of the forward caste, the Opposition is peddling the narrative that the person is anti-backward. Similarly, if the NDA candidate belongs to the SC/ST communities, the Opposition harps on ‘Save the Constitution’ narrative. In case the NDA candidate belongs to the OBC community, the narrative changes to ‘the BJP wants to end reservations’. Where is the Opposition speaking of development issues?
But the Opposition accuses the PM of being silent on issues?
The PM is only responding to the narrative that the Opposition has set. Since Independence, there has been no bigger communicator in politics than Modi. People value his words.
Is there any space left for political disagreements anymore?
Of the 788 MPs (in both Houses of Parliament), around 780 are my very good friends. My ideological commitment is clear. Yet, I share good relations with Sonia Gandhiji. I am good friends with (AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP) Asaduddin Owaisi despite him adhering to a different ideology. There is no manbhed (irreconcilable differences) here.
How about TMC MP Mahua Moitra – your petition against her led to her disqualification from Parliament – or Congress leader Rahul Gandhi?
No, I am not friends with Mahua Moitra, and that is why she is not in Parliament. I haven’t spoken to Rahul or Priyanka Gandhi either.
Does the BJP have a plan to take the Muslim community into confidence?
The BJP is not against Muslims. It is just a narrative. Muslims come out and vote (against BJP candidates) in large numbers in other constituencies, but here their turnout is only 45-46%, and they do not vote against me.
BJP's Nishikant Dubey at a public meeting in his constituency Godda. (Express photo by Abhishek Angad) 
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