New DelhiAug 13, 2025 15:47 IST
First published on: Aug 13, 2025 at 15:46 IST
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In the keenly-contested election for the post of Secretary (Administration) of the Constitution Club of India (CCI) in New Delhi, senior BJP MP and ex-Union minister Rajiv Pratap Singh Rudy again emerged as the winner, defeating Sanjeev Balyan, another BJP leader and ex-Union minister, by about 100 votes. Speaking to The Indian Express, Balyan, 53, who contested this election for the first time, blamed the Opposition camp for his defeat. Excerpts:
* How do you see the CCI poll outcome?
I contested this election with the agenda of making improvements in the Constitution Club and restoring its old dignity. Now, MPs and ex-MPs do not frequently visit the Constitution Club anymore. My agenda was that MPs of the ruling party and Opposition sit together there and hold discussions. I wanted to restore the glory of the Constitution Club which has declined gradually. If you see the result, I got support from a lot of people. But the Opposition’s voters followed their party lines although it was not an election on party line.
* You and your rival candidate Rudy both belong to BJP. He is learnt to have got support from the Congress, SP, TMC… In your view, why did the Opposition parties support him and not you?
They (Opposition) may have a strong friendship with him and enmity with me. But I also got support.
* Where did you fall short in this poll?
All the votes of some (Opposition) parties went to one candidate. Parties decided that at the top level. It even compelled my friends there, who wanted to vote for me, to follow the party line and vote for another candidate. Take the example of Samajwadi Party (SP). I belong to Uttar Pradesh. It is obvious that I have more friends in my support there. But they had to follow their leadership. Several Opposition parties created the same situation.
* How was your experience in the election?
Shaandar aur jaandaar (splendid and vibrant). I made new friends and was introduced to new people. I challenged a system that had not been challenged for the past 25 years. I challenged it to bring a change. Lots of people liked my agenda. If there was no intervention of “party line”, I had possibly achieved success.
* What had inspired you to contest the CCI poll?
Bureaucrats frequently come here (to the CCI) in large numbers. Outsiders too come. It is no more a club of Members of Parliament. MPs and ex-MPs do not come here. Mayawati became the leader from here. India Against Corruption started from here. Lohia sahab worked from here. Chandra Sehkhar ji was a regular visitor here. It was a centre of discussion of national politics across parties. So my idea was to restore that glory.
* Will you contest this election in future too?
I can’t say that.
* Both the candidates in this high-profile election are with the BJP. How did you canvass for votes within the BJP?
It was an election of friendship… for presenting our agenda before the people. He (Rudy) is very senior to me. Fifteen people from his (Rudy’s) panel were contesting collectively. However, I was alone. Naresh Agrawal, Akshay Yadav, Deepender Hooda, Rajeev Shukla, Naveen Jindal, were in his panel. I was alone and I had no panel. I alone fought against 15.