BJP’s still the most disciplined party

From the spic-and-span life of a bureaucrat to the rough and tumble of politics, the change has been rather too quick for Som Prakash. Last month, he quit IAS and within days, was anointed the BJP nominee for the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat.

In Punjab, bureaucrats seldom join politics. In fact, after the state came into being, no bureaucrat, except IPS officer Simranjit Singh Mann, has stepped into its political territory. However, Som Prakash, a 1988-batch officer, put in his papers with a resolve to join the league of politicians, and the BJP readily obliged him. He spoke to DNA. Excerpts:
 
What made you take up politics?
The decision was prompted solely by the desire to “serve the people”. As a bureaucrat, “I did serve the people, so I wanted to carry on with my mission”. I am not sure whether I will be able to achieve my goal this time, but I want to be among the people. Let’s see how it shapes up.

Do you think bureaucrats can make successful politicians?
There are no set rules. Since bureaucrats have to deal with politicians, they definitely have a feel of politics. I want to give politics a refined face. My bureaucratic background gives me added advantage.

What will be your main poll plank?
I have been a deputy commissioner in Hoshiarpur and adjoining districts. People have seen my performance as a deputy commissioner, now they should give me a chance to serve them as an MP. Moreover, I have a development agenda for the region, which I can talk about more convincingly than other contestants.

Why the BJP?
The BJP to me is still the most disciplined political party with a national vision.

Don’t you think you should chart a different course in politics than what the present parties have been treading?
May be. But to join an established party and contribute whatever little one can appears more sensible. If you start a new outfit with inexperienced faces, it might take long to establish credentials and win confidence.