BJP’s Anil Baluni is banking on religion and development to win in Garhwal (Pauri), Uttarakhand’s largest constituency

The BJP’s national media chief Anil Baluni has taken on the challenge of winning in Garhwal (Pauri), Uttarakhand’s largest constituency. Spread over 1,000 sq. km. and home to important religious sites, including the Badrinath-Kedarnath temples, and Hemkund Sahib gurudwara, Mr. Baluni spoke to The Hindu’s Ishita Mishra about his campaign, in which he is promising “guaranteed development and jobs”.

The Opposition is dubbing you as an ‘outsider’ and asking people why they would vote for someone who is not living with them. What do you say to this?

The Congress cannot ask questions from the people, but the people can question the Congress on why it opposed Uttarakhand’s Statehood. This is ‘Devbhoomi’ (land of the gods) and its people will never forget how Congress posed hurdles in the construction of the Ram Mandir (in Ayodhya). The people of the INDIA alliance say that the [followers of the] Hindu religion are like insects.

The Congress wants to finish the character of ‘Devbhoomi’. When Harish Rawat was the CM, he announced off on Jumma (Friday). The Congress candidate from Pauri (Ganesh Godiyal) in the last election had promised to build a Muslim university here. In the 2011 census, it is Uttarakhand, after Assam, where demographic changes happened and the people of Uttarakhand will not let this happen.

The Congress has called [the late] General Bipin Rawat gali ka gunda. The people here are asking Congress why the party abused a son of this soil.

There is a saying in Uttarakhand — ‘pahad ki jawani aur pahad ka pani pahad par nahi rukti’ (the water and youth of the mountains never stay in the mountains). What are your plans to check migration?

Being the Rajya Sabha MP from here, I had started a campaign named ‘apna vote, apne gaon’ (my vote will be in my village). It was a huge success and reduced political migration from the State. To check cultural migration, I started a campaign to ensure that all those who have moved outside the State in search of work must come back to their villages to celebrate at least one festival, be it Holi, Diwali or Igas (a festival celebrated in Uttarakhand after Diwali). Then we also started convincing people to organise at least one wedding or relatives’ function in their native village.

The biggest challenge in keeping people in the hills is connectivity and employment opportunities. For connectivity, we have built roads which can fail highways in cities. We now have a train coming till the Himalayas in Karnaprayag.

People from across India and from abroad are coming for ‘workcation’ in Uttarakhand and we are trying to encash this opportunity via a homestay scheme, which provides tourists a home like experience, and jobs to natives.