Bhopal: As Delhi’s new chief minister and cabinet took the oath of office on Wednesday, the influence of Madhya Pradesh on the politics of the national capital became evident. The swearing-in of Kapil Mishra and Pravesh Verma as the ministers is a testament to the state's contribution to Delhi’s political landscape.
Kapil is the son of senior thinker and writer Professor Rameshwar Mishra Pankaj and belongs to Rewa while Pravesh Verma is the son-in-law of senior BJP leader Vikram Verma.
ETV Bharat Madhya Pradesh Bureau Chief Shifali Pandey spoke to Kapil’s father, who lives in Bhopal, over the phone about his son’s rise in Delhi politics.
‘Was Not Happy With Kapil Joining Kejriwal’
“Kapil first shared the biggest happiness of his life with me,” says his father. “He called me at around 10:30 pm and informed me about the development as I did not go to the swearing-in ceremony,” he says.
In a special conversation with ETV Bharat, Prof. Rameshwar says that his son knows that he will not come into the crowd. "I was not happy with Kapil's decision to go with (Arvind) Kejriwal, but we never stopped our children from taking a decision. When he joined the BJP, I was the happiest person,” he says.
“When Kapil’s name was being considered for the post of Delhi chief minister, I had told him not to run for the post. Even after becoming an MLA, he has to work passionately for the party,” says Prof Rameshwar, who hails from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh.
‘Kapil Was Keen To Join Politics During School’
Prof Rameshwar recalls Kapil’s childhood, saying he would walk with a group of boys in school and had told me that he would join politics, although he was talented enough to take any other field. “Kapil was also involved in student politics at Delhi University. I took him to the RSS branch in his childhood, but he would run away to play cricket; morality and patriotism are deeply ingrained in him,” he says.
“Whatever ideology he connects with, he connects with it completely. I knew that he would not be able to stay with (Arvind) Kejriwal for long, but I did not stop him,” Prof Rameshwar says. “When Kapil, influenced by the Anna Hazare movement, went with Kejriwal, I was not in favour of it. I knew that Kejriwal was not the right person. When the result came out, Kapil told me that Papa, you were right. Now, I am joining the BJP. I said that this has come true.”
“Kapil returned with the same values that we had given him. However, I think that he got the inclination to join politics from his mother, who too was in politics in important posts in Delhi,” the father adds.
Kapil never went to Rewa, but his father is a resident of Patehara, a small village near Jodori village of Baikunthpur Police Station.
However, he had moved to Delhi in 1974 itself. Kapil was born there on November 13, 1980. Kapil's mother, Annapurna Mishra, was also the Deputy Mayor of the Delhi Municipal Corporation, who also influenced Kapil to join politics.
Pravesh Verma’s Connection with Madhya Pradesh
Pravesh Verma, who has been made a minister in the Delhi Cabinet, is the son-in-law of senior Madhya Pradesh BJP leader Vikram Verma. Son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma is married to Swati Verma, the elder daughter of Vikram Verma and BJP MLA Neena Verma.
“We were very happy that day when our son-in-law defeated Kejriwal,” Pravesh’s mother-in-law Neena Verma told ETV Bharat. Pravesh, who defeated AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi assembly seat by about 4,000 votes, has a strong Madhya Pradesh connection.
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