Tickets given only to winnable candidates: Sachin Pilot

Sachin Pilot speaks to Zeenews.com’s Swati Chaturvedi on Kahiye Janaab about ticket distribution in Maharashtra polls and other issues.

The Minister of State for Communication and IT Sachin Pilot in an interview with Zeenews.Com’s Swati Chaturvedi on Kahiye Janaab spoke about the current controversy on giving ticket to President’s Pratibha Patil’s son Rajendra Shekhawat, on the austerity drive and on twitting.Swati: The Congress has been reduced to a private limited company. An experienced person is removed and the President’s son is given a ticket. What’s happening in the Congress?

Sachin: This is the decision of the party. Just on the basis that they are related to politicians, people cannot be disqualified from getting tickets. All citizens have a right to fight polls and I think the party has given tickets to only those people who are capable of victory. Swati: But what message are you sending to the country by snatching the post of an experienced politician and giving ticket to a man only because he is the President’s son? Sachin: I am quite surprised with your perception. There is a system which we follow and only after a thorough analysis are tickets distributed. Besides, if that were the case, then sitting MPs and MLAs would have been denied tickets. Swati: Are you trying to say that his mother who is the President had nothing to do with her son getting the ticket? Sachin: The post of a President is a constitutional position. Our President knows very well how to protect its pride. But if someone related to her wants to serve then he/she must not just be identified as her kith and kin. In any case ultimately it is the public which decides who is elected. Swati: Rahul Gandhi has himself said that politics has become a “closed shop”. Your comments. Sachin: Rahul Gandhi wants to open the doors and windows of politics to the common man. Anyone who wants to join the party is welcome and it is not necessary to come with anyone’s recommendation for this. The youth of today know that if they join the Congress then they will get a position on the basis of their own merit. Swati: He has opened the doors to the youth. But Congress party is ridden with dynastic rule? Sachin: This may be your perspective. There are only a very few people among all whose relatives are in politics. And even if they are, it is no sin. People elect and send them. Swati: Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is the son of the late Chief Minister S B Chavan. Vilasrao Deshmukh is fighting for a ticket for his son. What do you have to say? Sachin: If the party decides to give a ticket to X Y or Z then why should anyone have any problem? Swati: There are many people in politics who are there because of their parents and it is like a family profession for them. Comments. Sachin: You can’t stem the career of people who really work for the masses. If someone pursues politics as a mere hobby then he’ll never be successful. Politics is highly competitive. To survive here one must make a place for oneself among people and be ready to sacrifice. Swati: You just talked of sacrifice. There is a drought prevailing in the country. Your party has started an austerity drive. But people from your own party made a joke of it. Shashi Tharoor made a mockery of it by his cattle class remark? Sachin: There’s food crisis here as well as in the world. We think that we must lead by example. Shashi Tharoor has apologised for the misunderstanding. He has himself said that offending anyone was not his motive. Swati: You have worked so hard for your constituency. What do you feel as a citizen about the present situation in the country? Sachin: If we don’t respect each other’s sentiments then the feeling of nationalism doesn’t get triggered. The present generation’s thinking in politics is to work towards national interest despite ideological differences and this is what we are pushing towards. Swati: Do you twit? Are you on Facebook? Sachin: Neither do I twit, nor do I know how to. If one wants to communicate with people then the net is there, emails are there. But one must exercise restraint as far as disclosure of official meets on Twitter is concerned. Swati: That’s very strange. Shashi Tharoor twits; he wrote that the other day he attended 17 meetings and it was a long day? Sachin: The official meetings must not be published. This puts a question mark on the seriousness of the post under your command. Secondly if you are in an authoritative position then you are expected to act responsibly. Adapted by: Ritam Banati