‘He is a spent force, has stepped down the ladder’, says Mahesh Pratap Singh

What issues are you going with to the people?

The development of Nathdwara is my priority. Nathdwara is Temple City. We shall develop it as a city that promotes religious tourism. We also plan on connecting it to nearby tourist spots. I want to make Nathdwara the model assembly constituency of the state. My priority is the development of infrastructure and other basic facilities in rural areas and sports facility in Nathdwara. There is a huge potential to groom the youth in the sports.

BJP’s Kalyan Singh has been elected MLA twice from Nathdwara. Did he not developed this area?

Development is a continuous process. Now, my participation will counted in the development of this region. Kalyan Singh Ji worked for the constituency. Due to his failing health, he had an untimely death. I will fulfil the incomplete works and set the city on the path of development.

The Congress has fielded its senior and experienced leader CP Joshi, while you are contesting as legislator for first time.

I have been in politics for 30 years, worked for BJP for 20 years and remained in Congress for 10 years. My face is not so new. His(CP Joshi) face, however, is new. He is contesting for the seventh time, he used to be a big leader but is no longer one. The Congress lost elections in those states in which he was made in charge. He has been removed from the post of General Secretary. He has walked down the stairs and is now contesting the legislator. His time is gone. It’s 2018. The country’s youth is with Narendra Modi. The public is in favour of the BJP.

A video of CP Joshi has gone viral, in which he is asking the caste of Narendra Modi...

This is an unfortunate statement. Congress is attempting to divide the society. First Kamalnath made the statement in Madhya Pradesh and here the castes of the saints are being brought into question. This is not our culture. Nobody ever asked for the cast of the Ved Vyas. A seasoned leader does not give such statements.

Kalyan Singh defeated Joshi by a vote in 2008, can you beat him this time?

Of course. That one vote has now multiplied into thousands. We will beat him by a margin of several thousands this time.