News18 Town Hall | Oppn Unity Just About Disliking One Person; UCC Not Poll Gambit: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar tore into the Opposition’s attempts at forging an anti-BJP front for 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Monday, saying their unity is “just about disliking one person”. Speaking at CNN-News18’s Delhi Town Hall, Chandrasekhar added that discussion around a Uniform Civil Code is not a “poll gambit”.

“I see 15 faces in the Opposition. They don’t get along with each other… The Opposition is desperately trying to be relevant. Their unity has nothing new to offer as their unity is only about disliking one person,” he said.

“Elections in this awakened New India are about what you are offering to young Indians… healthy debate on ideas is good. This is New India and people want political parties to deliver and take the country forward,” he added.

The MoS for Electronics & Technology also expressed confidence that the BJP would win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections just as it had won the 2014 and 2019 General Elections. “We have seen development in past nine years. The people of India will speak in 2024 as they spoke in 2019 and 2014… Our vote share has increased in Karnataka and West Bengal. The BJP is clear in what we stand for.”

Asked about alliances, Chandrasekhar said: “We won’t dilute our goals and ideology if other political parties join us.”

Asked about the raging debate around Uniform Civil Code, one of BJP’s election promises for long, Chandrasekhar said: “There has been appeasement politics for past 65 years. India is a great country and is becoming an economic power… There is no draft as of now. These basic principles have been flagged by BR Ambedkar in the Constitution as well,” he said, adding that it is “not a poll gambit”.

Centred around the theme ‘Exploring India’s Path to 2024 Elections’, CNN-News18’s Delhi Town Hall will facilitate discussions with leaders like Nitin Gadkari (Minister of Road Transport & Highways), Hardeep Singh Puri (Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs & Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas), Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology), Shashi Tharoor, (Member of Parliament, Indian National Congress), Manish Tewari (Former Cabinet Minister), Sudhanshu Trivedi (Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, BJP) and Sushmita Devi (Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, AITC).

The primary focus of the event will be on understanding how political parties plan to captivate the attention of the voters. The discussions will revolve around various topics such as policies, manifestos, and strategies employed by each party. Through this discourse, the event will aim to gauge preparations of participating parties for General Elections 2024. Moreover, it will shed light on the steps they intend to take for the welfare of citizens.

After its successful run with four editions in 2022, ‘CNN-News18 Town Hall’ has become a prominent platform for policy makers, opinion leaders and prominent voices in India. CNN-News18’s commitment to delivering unbiased news and facilitating informed conversations makes this event an invaluable opportunity for political leaders and viewers alike.