BJP will take on TRS in next poll

Two years down the line (of power), the BJP General Secretary, Ram Madhav, who has donned the mantle of party work at the behest of his parent organisation, the RSS, is a happy man. "But, the work is not yet over. Entire Coromandel Coast has to be effectively covered by the party. Leaving just footprints in the States along the coast is not enough,” he says summing up the party's progress in conversation with W Chandrakanth.

Interview with Ram Madhav
For us, both AP and Telangana are one and the same. AP has big challenges ahead including that of building its own Capital. The Centre would not sit back and watch. We will do our best to help the State. At the same time, it does not mean that we will neglect Hyderabad

Are you happy or satisfied with the recent outcome in the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Assam Bengal and Kerala? Happy yes! Because this has given us the fruits of our hard work. Assam, in particular, did take a lot of work. We worked at the grassroots level a lot. People have seen the development of this government and are happy with it. As for the second-half, I would say there is more work to be done. In West Bengal we slogged a lot to come to the present level from zero to three seats. In Kerala too we opened our account - one seat while coming second in seven others.

Does it mean you would be concentrating more on the South now having been successful Assam and J&K in your own right?
South is certainly on our agenda. Not just South, for that matter. Say, entire Coromandel coast. We need to strengthen ourselves in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal etc. We are preparing ourselves for the same. In Kerala we have met with some success. It’s heartening. In Tamil Nadu, yes, I admit, the dominance of regional parties is quite strong. Similarly, in other States too.

Coming to AP, don’t you think it is difficult to build your strength being a partner in the government and an ally of the TDP. It has not been that easy for you to build the base here?
We understand the compulsions in AP. After all, we are a partner in the government. We will have our limitations. But, our strategy is to help the new State develop as much as possible and convince the people of our role in it. We are working hard at the grassroots level there. We are confident of building up the party organisation by the next elections.

But, don't you think it is a tricky position in AP? On the one hand, the TDP leadership is criticising you for not helping the State much. Secondly, there is this question of the Special Status which the State is seeking... You should understand that the issue of Special Status is not only a sensitive one, but also has become a sentimental issue by now, whosoever played a role in making it so. The Chief Minister is in talks with the Centre. Our Ministers are talking to him. We could find a solution to the same with a little bit of patience.

The problem in this regard is that there are different voices. Your own Cabinet Ministers say it is not possible because of the 14th Finance Commission while the Minister for Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs, M Venkaiah Naidu, tries to assuage the feelings of people saying it should become a reality soon. Again, even the stipulation of the 12th Finance Commission on sharing the gas revenue of KG Basin with AP has not materialized. Don't you think these are sending wrong signals? The TDP government too had reeled out a long list of promises not kept As I told you it is a sensitive issue. We are talking. It is not just AP that is seeking liberal funds for development. Even Kashmir has demanded a package and we have given it. There are mechanisms in place and all demands shall be looked into.

Then there is this issue of disputes between the two Telugu States. There is a criticism that the Centre is not stepping in to resolve the issues.
No it is not right. The Centre is not a silent spectator. There is the Home Ministry to look into the disputes and we are here to help both the States. It is wrong to say that we are taking "sides" in these disputes. For us, both AP and Telangana are one and the same. AP has big challenges ahead including that of building its own Capital. The Centre would not sit back and watch. We will do our best to help the State. At the same time, it does not mean that we will neglect Hyderabad.

But, does this not lead to a strain in relations with the TDP? How do you work for your party's growth in AP while being its ally all the while? These are two different things – being an ally and working towards BJP's strengthening in the State. Being a partner of the TDP as an ally is a matter of strategy. It is a political strategy. As for working for the strengthening of our own party, it is our ideology. These two are different.

How about Telangana? What are your plans there? We have a strong base in Telangana already. Our goal is to emerge as the main opposition to the TRS by next elections. We want to take on the TRS on our own and we are concentrating on those aspects.

There is a criticism that your party has moved out Nirmala Sitaraman and did not accommodate Venkaiah Naidu in AP though you had a chance with the help of the TDP votes and outsider (Suresh Prabhu) is brought in their place. How do you respond to the same? This is about Rajya Sabha and we don't look at it from local-outsider view point. Even in my case, I am just doing the party work where ever I'm assigned to. I am asked to work here now and so I work here. Tomorrow, if I am asked to work somewhere else, I will do so. These are pan-Indian elections not local elections.