![T Raja Singh BJP](https://img.etimg.com/thumb/msid-105518721,width-300,height-225,imgsize-42508,resizemode-75/t-raja-singh-bjp.jpg)
The 46-year-old two-term MLA, who started off from the Hindu Vahin and RSS and wears his hard-Hindu image on his sleeves, sits with his characteristic cocky confidence at his Dhoolpet office. "I have already completed door-to-door campaign. After my third victory this time, my aim is to win the 2028 elections by just sitting at this office without a single day's campaign. People vote for me for the development work I have done here," Singh, who was the lone BJP candidate to win the 2018 polls, told ET.
When told he was better known for his hardline Hindu image and controversial comments, he responded: "There are two aspects to my political personality. As an MLA, I work for my people and the development of my constituency. And as a politician and a proud Hindu, I work to promote my religion and Hindutva. That is what I am."
Asked whether he ever regretted the controversial comment he made last year for which he was arrested, Singh quipped: "There was no plus or minus in it. That was not the first time I was arrested. In 2005, the YSR government (of Congress) arrested me for some political work, and in 2009 I got elected as a corporator. I was again arrested and jailed in 2010 and I got elected as an MLA in 2014. So, every time I was arrested, I got political promotions because of the growing support of people".
Singh turned Goshamahal into his fiefdom by unseating a multi-time winning Congress MLA in 2014. He is now pitted against BRS candidate Nand Kishore Vyas and state Mahila Congress leader Mogili Sunitha. About the high-pitched BRS campaign in his seat led by CM's son KTR, Singh said, "KTR and his BRS supporters are feeding cash and biryani to the people here to make them vote against me. They will spend maximum money and biryani but the people will make me win with a bigger margin. Asad (as Asaduddin Owaisi is called here) is not fielding an candidate here because he wants the AIMIM voters to back the BRS candidate to defeat me. But nothing will work here for them." Singh's local supporters never miss to point out how he "never asks for Muslim votes".
The constituency has an estimated 2.7 lakh voters, of which around 70,000 are Muslims. Singh, who belongs to the sizable Lodha community here, also gains his support from a significant section of Marwaris, Marathis and North Indians settled here. UP CM Yogi Adityanath campaigned for Singh on Saturday.
Mohammad Nahid, a resident of the area, said, "The fact the BJP lifted Raja Singh's suspension and renominated him as party candidate despite the grave crime he committed in public last year shows the party's real intention. They simply want to polarise this seat."
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