BJP’s Hari Nagar candidate Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga shot into prominence in 2011 when he physically attacked noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan in the latter’s chamber over his statement on holding of a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, Mr. Bagga has been getting steady prominence being at the forefront of several social media campaigns run by the BJP, something that made the party choose him as the candidate for the Assembly polls.
On Wednesday, Mr. Bagga held a foot march in Nangla village in Hari Nagar where he touched the feet of elders and requested them to vote for him. His ‘election convoy’, include a BJP campaign van, dhol and around one hundred BJP workers marching with him shouting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. A group of young volunteers holding placards were heard shouting slogans like ‘Bagga is like Modi’s shadow, he is our brother’.
A group of BJP supporters, including women, were also seen offering ladoos to locals and asking them to vote for the BJP if they want to keep the nation safe from middlemen of infiltrators.
Mr. Bagga’s election campaign is solely on nationalism. He is asking votes in the name of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah whom he claimed can only give them security from infiltrators.
Poll promises
“For the first time any candidate has released manifesto for Hari Nagar Assembly constituency. In the manifesto, I have promised to install smog tower in Hari Nagar Vidhanasabha in the first 60 days of my victory. Segregation of waste will also be done and waste compost will be installed,” said Mr. Bagga.
The manifesto was prepared after he reached out to locals in Hari Nagar constituency and discussed their problems. “People are not happy with the current AAP MLA from the area because he had not performed and for that reason he was not given ticket again. The area needs development and it had not seen any in the last five years,” said the BJP candidate.
Meanwhile, a group of BJP supporters were offering party sashes and caps to motorists and locals.
“I have never seen him before but I got to know that he is the BJP candidate. I am still unclear as to whom I will vote for. But it is wrong to ask votes in the name of Shaheen Bagh and Jamia,” said Keshav Singh, a shop owner.
Anti-CAA protests
During the public meeting at Subhash Nagar, Mr. Bagga had promised to clear Shaheen Bagh within 24-hours of his party coming to power in Delhi. He asked his supporters who had come to attend the rally to shout ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ so loud that their voice could reach Jamia Millia Islamia and Shaheen Bagh.
“Shaheen Bagh has turned into a hub of anti-nationals and we won’t allow it. It will get clear on February 11, the moment we come to power,” Mr. Bagga said.
When he was asked why the BJP is polarising the election campaign, he said that it is AAP who is polarising the election by constantly referring about Shaheen Bagh in their election campaigns. BJP has just replied to them. “I want to ask AAP where are the colleges, hospitals and WiFi that was promised by them. Not a single teacher has been appointed by the Kejriwal government and there is a shortfall of teachers. I challenge Mr. Kejriwal to come to Hari Nagar and debate with me on health and education," said Mr. Bagga.
On January 24, Election Commission had served notice to Mr. Bagga after the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) raised the issue of his song amounting to “suspected paid news”.
BJP president J.P. Nadda also conducted a pubic meeting in his support in Hari Nagar. His team claimed that many other BJP star campaigners will hold pubic meetings in Hari Nagar in support of Mr. Bagga.
As per the election affidavit, Mr. Bagga is a school dropout. He has a diploma in National Development Course from National Defence University in China. He is currently pursuing Bachelor Preparatory Programme from IGNOU. He has been a Delhi BJP spokesperson since 2017.
Published - January 31, 2020 02:07 am IST
