‘Modi’s leadership will be the deciding factor on every seat’

Nagar Palika chairman at Anupgarh Priyanka Balan is now a BJP nominee for the Ganganagar Lok Sabha seat. BJP has preferred her over the incumbent five-term MP Nihal Chand. Balan is offering prayers at gurudwaras, touching the feet of elder voters for blessings and discussing her vision with urban voters. TOI’s Ashish Mehta caught up with her at the Budha Johad Gurudwara in Raisingh Nagar


For the first time a woman is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Ganganagar; do you think this is going to benefit you?

■ BJP has given tickets to many women candidates (on other seats) and, yes, I believe people will bless me as a daughter and daughter-inlaw of the region. At the same time, I believe that the leadership of PM Narendra Modi would be the deciding factor on every seat across the country. People from my region will this time elect a woman with the mission to make Modi ji the PM again.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, there was a ‘Modi wave’, which helped BJP candidates. Do you think Modi’s magic will still work for you?
■ I think Modi ji has the support of every person who is a nationalist. Things like ‘Modi ki guarantee’ under which promises made to the people are being fulfilled will surely help BJP candidates. One cannot overlook the impact Modi ji creates through his speeches. I do not know about any ‘wave’, but Modi ji’s leadership will fetch us good election results.

BJP has denied tickets to many sitting MPs, including Nihal Chand from Ganganagar. Do you think this will adversely impact the BJP prospects?
■ I can talk only about Ganganagar. I have got the blessings from Nihal Chand ji. The BJP leadership has proved time and time again that it is introducing and promoting youth and grassroot workers in politics. We have a fresh and energetic CM in Rajasthan.

If elected, what would be your work priorities?
■ My constituency comprises Ganganagar and Hanumangarh districts where majority of the people are into agriculture. We need to improve irrigation facilities and agriculture marketing. Demands like getting more water for Ganganagar and Hanumangarh from the Firozpur Feeder would be met. We have to get an agriculture university at Ganganagar. We also need better rail connectivity with Punjab since a larger chunk of the populace from this region has relatives residing in Punjab.

Drug peddling and addiction is an emerging problem here. Do you have any plans to check it?
■ Our state govt made a result oriented strategy against the paper leak mafia and the guilty were put behind bars. For the drug problem too, I will work with the stakeholders, including the police and the administration.