It was a different pitch, but cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad played well as he defeated former BJP state president Dilip Ghosh with a margin of more than 1.30 lakh votes on the Bardhaman-Durgapur seat in West Bengal in Lok Sabha elections 2024. Azad is now being called ‘giant killer’ as he has defeated BJP’s big wicket.
The Trinamool Congress MP spoke exclusively to News18 and raised suspicion on the running of the government being formed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre. He cautioned BJP allies saying the party “always eats up its allies”.
Here are edited excerpts of his interview with News18:
Q: How does this feel?
Kirti Azad: Well, this is a really great feeling. The way didi gave me the opportunity to work for the people, the way TMC workers came together and fought, this was a great feeling. Mamata didi is a wonderful captain. I will work according to the directions of didi.
Q: Will you call yourself a giant killer?
Kirti Azad: I don’t know whether he is giant or not, but yes, definitely he was former State President of BJP and he was the man under whose leadership BJP got 18 seats. The problem is the way he used bad words about a woman Chief Minister, people could not forget that. His language, his attitude, nothing goes with culture of Bengal. People rejected him.
Q: What are the issues you will raise in Parliament?
Kirti Azad: I will raise the issues of Bardhaman Durgapur definitely, that will be my prime focus. They have not given Bengal’s money and this is the first thing that we are going to raise in Parliament. I am thankful to didi. Whatever way she wants to make us do, we will do that. They have not given Awas Yojana money as. We will exert pressure for these.
Q: Nitish Kumar is supporting the NDA Government. You have known him for long. How do you think this government will be?
Kirti Azad: This government is really going to be fun, we will wait and see. Modi is a dictator, so let’s see. This is going to be interesting, he will not have 100 per cent say. This government will not last long. Chandrababu and Nitish have to be alert. Whoever BJP has done alliance with, they have been finished. They have always eaten up their allies. Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu will wake up one morning and they will see that all MPs have joined BJP. Look at what they did in Odisha, the party which always supported them silently, they have eaten it up. Look at Mehbooba Mufti. I don’t think this government will be stable. The allies are under threat. The BJP has not done anything for the country.
Q: What will be the role of INDI alliance?
Kirti Azad: The INDI alliance obviously will take advice from didi and we will roar in Parliament. All political parties are together and we, too, have good numbers. TMC is a very important player of INDI alliance. The government this time cannot get away with whatever they want. The Opposition will exert pressure in every way this time.
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