Q: First of all, can you just sum up your political journey for the benefit of our audience?
Satish Upadhyay: I was in school when emergency was imposed in the country. My family had no political background but yes, nationalistic ideology ran in my family. I started attending RSS shakhas as a swayamsevak . After joining college, I got enrolled with ABVP. The ABVP asked me to contest elections when I was in second year. I got married in 1988 and after that I joined Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha. I served BYYM as vice-president and Mahamantri. When Uma Bharti became the president of BJYM, I worked in her national team. In 2002, Khurana ji made me president of Delhi Yuva Morcha. When O P Kohli became the president of Delhi BJP, he gave me bigger responsibilities and I went on to serve as vice-president as well. In 2012, I was asked to contest in municipal elections and I emerged victorious.
One more thing, in 1993, Indian Express had published a report titled “Backroom boys” and that article mentioned that Narendra Modi was handing national elections while I was handling Delhi elections. I am saying this just to underline that I have the experience of working with Modi ji.
Q: As far as electoral politics is concerned, don't you think you have been a bit late because you fought elections for the first time in 2012. Some people in your party are reportedly unhappy by the fact that a person, who won a councilor's election for the first time in 2012, has been promoted, all of a sudden, as the president of the state unit.
Satish Upadhyay: Let me confess one thing – I'm a bit introvert by nature and I like to work from behind the scenes. This is not for the first time that a person has been made president who has not contested elections. Let me remind you that O P Kohli never contested elections but was still made the president. Even our former president Vijendra Gupta was just a councilor. And there are many such examples in many states. When you work for years for a party then lakhs of eyes judge your capabilities. A party has numerous workers and they all can't contest elections because there are very limited opportunities. If seniority in a party has to be judged only by electoral politics then no worker will work for the party because the opportunities are limited for elected positions.
See, the problem arises in a party when a leader becomes a megalomaniac and considers himself to be the only important person. I am not like that. I consider myself just a trustee of the party. I want to tell you one thing – my endeavor will be not to encourage any kind of factionalism in the party. I will prefer to go with collective leadership within party.
Q: Whether you accept it or not, there is a perception that there are too many factions and lobbies in Delhi BJP. There was a Khurana group once upon a time consisting of Punjabi lobby, now you have Vijay Goel group, Vijendra Gupta group and so on. Some people also say that since you are from UP, it has also become a separate group. How would you tackle this challenge?
Satish Upadhyay: I don't think there is any factionalism in the party. As our senior leaders have pointed out “Sabka saath, sabka vikas”, we'll work together. People from different parts of the country, from north-east to UP and Bihar, come to Delhi. I have not been made president because I represent a particular caste or region. See the problem arises when you have a personal agenda in mind and you want to project yourself. I'll take everybody along with me. I don't think there will be any problem if we work together and if there is proper communication with everybody.
