In a candid chat with TOI correspondent Yogesh Kumar, BJP candidate for the Pauri seat, Tirath Singh Rawat , spoke of how he is sure that he would be the one carrying forward the legacy of his political guru Major Gen (retd) BC Khanduri and why not having a defence background in a seat with an abundance of ex-serviceman voters is unlikely to dent his prospects.What do you think of the election in Pauri becoming a battle between Khanduri’s son and his disciple?My association with Khanduri ji goes back to several decades. His tutelage helped me evolve and grow as a leader. In the guru-chela system in the country, it is the disciple who takes the guru’s legacy forward. I have the blessings and support of my guru, Khanduri ji.But hasn’t the contest become challenging for you after Manish Khanduri took the political plunge from his father’s constituency on a Congress ticket?No, there is no challenge for me here since there is a clear Modi wave in every village. This is because of the great work done by his government in Uttarakhand. People want Modi to be the PM in 2019. For them, the Congress candidate or his background will matter little, in Pauri or anywhere else.Congress is using ‘Khanduri Hai Zaroori’ slogan, once used by the BJP. This must have led to anger in the the BJP ranks?Congress is desperate and helpless, so it is trying to grasp whatever it can. Khanduri ji has said clearly that he would campaign from wherever the party asks him to.Do you have the support of Ritu Khanduri, BJP legislator and Manish Khanduri’s sister?Yes, of course. She is working tirelessly for me in her assembly constituency Yamkeshwar. I have known her for many years and she is a dedicated BJP worker. We witnessed a huge turnout in our rally in Yamkeshwar where CM Trivendra Singh Rawat was our star campaigner.It is believed that voters in Pauri generally choose defence personnel to represent them. You do not have a defence background. Will this hurt your prospects?I may not have an Army background but I hail from an Army family. Eleven people from my family are currently serving in the Army. This year, however, the entire defence personnel community is backing the BJP, especially after the retaliation to Pulwama attack and successful implementation of One Rank One Pension scheme (OROP).

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