Exclusive Interview: Who Do They Have Against PM Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha Elections, Asks Amit Shah

Union Home minister Amit Shah has expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win more than 42 seats in Maharashtra that it won in the last Lok Sabha elections. The atmosphere in the state is in favour of the BJP and all the projections made so far will be proven wrong, he claimed.

In an interview with Lokmat Group, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said that the Lok Sabha elections are of the Centre and local issues will remain ineffective. According to Shah, there is no leader equal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the context of the forthcoming elections. Therefore, the question arises ‘Who’ against Modi? Shah has indicated that MLAs and ministers can also be given tickets in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Senior and junior leaders of your party are confidently claiming that the BJP will not only perform well in the Lok Sabha elections but will also win more than 370 seats and the vote share will also increase. What is the reason behind this confidence?
 

People of the country have appreciated the way PM Narendra Modi has worked in the last 10 years of his tenure. Till date, any government has not been able to bring more than 20 crore people out of the poverty line in only 10 years. We have given houses to three crore people. We will also provide houses to three crore people in the next five years. This will mean that in the coming time every person will have a house. Five kg of grains are reaching every person's house. Water is reaching the poor's house through taps. Expenses for their treatment up to Rs 5 lakh are being borne by the government. We have supplied LPG into the kitchens and also made arrangements of toilets in the homes.

 

The opposition is conducting caste census and wants to contest elections highlighting several other problems. What will you say?

I would say that 80 crore poor people of the country were not even imagining that so much would be delivered at their doorstep. The Opposition talks about caste. We talk about development. Prime minister Narendra Modi has given three definitions of caste. I can only give one definition: the caste that will win us elections is the caste called beneficiaries. There is nothing more to it.

Congress' strategy has been successful in the elections of some states. Will it affect BJP's electoral prospects?

I do not think so. In the time that has passed since they came to power in these states, people have seen effects of their guarantees. Their guarantee schemes were so full-fledged that they could not be implemented fully. The youth are not getting unemployment allowance. Payments are not being made for small works done in every tehsil, and development works have stopped. Women are getting Rs 2000, but the leakage in their house is not being repaired. Their budget has affected badly. Neither the drought money nor the flood money has reached them. Everything is shattered. There is a lot of anger among the people of Karnataka.

Read more: No More Tareekh Pe Tareekh, Now There Will Be Justice In Time

There is a perception that government agencies are more active in the states where the opposition is in power. What would you say about that?
 

When the UPA government was in power, we had filed several PILs because we had proof of corruption. Then, the courts had given orders and FIRs were registered. There are more FIRs against Congress than us. This information can also be obtained from the Parliament. If there is any corruption case involving us, why has it not been proved in the court till date? There is democracy in the country, they should file a case, but they will lose. This has also been discussed in the Parliament. After all, what is the job of the opposition? In such matters, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley used to launch front assault. However, these people cannot hold any discussion in the Parliament, because the real thing is that there is nothing to prove.

 For the first time, a sitting Chief Minister from among the opposition parties has been arrested?

Technically, the sitting Chief Minister has not been arrested. He had resigned. I tell you that people should not allow the situation to come to this stage. They should resign beforehand. Many people have resigned in the past, but they have not raised such a hue and cry.

Thinking of it, should any other Chief Minister also resign?

I do not want to name anybody. There should be morality in social life. A case of encounter was filed against me. I was also arrested and had resigned. Several hearings took place. I was acquitted by the Supreme Court. It was clear that a false case was registered against me out of political vendetta.

Along with Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar also joined the BJP government in Maharashtra. Apart from this, cases are pending against some leaders in the ruling party of the state. In such a situation, is Ajit Pawar joining you is like giving a clean chit to him?
 

We have not given clean chit to anyone. We cannot give a clean chit. The investigation and legal agencies are seized of their matters. This process is going on. Those who are to be investigated will be investigated. Its results will come as per the investigation.

Don't you think that the negative environment created around tainted leaders joining the government will have any impact on BJP's results?
 

As far as Maharashtra politics is concerned, this entire election is centred around the issues of the Centre. Here the issues of the Centre will affect the politics of Maharashtra, not vice versa. The entire election will revolve around the question Narendra Modi against 'Who.' If we talk about Maharashtra, it can be Sharad Pawar or someone else, only time will tell.

 

In the last Lok Sabha elections, you in alliance with Shiv Sena won 41 out of 48 seats and later one independent backed you. Eighteen seats were won by Shiv Sena and 23 by BJP. What is your guess this time?

You will see Rishiji we will go beyond 42 seats. We will do much better than the last time. 

But the reports coming from the ground are telling a different story?

 

You had received similar reports in Chhattisgarh also.

What did you do in Chhattisgarh, will the same model be followed here also?

 

The environment in Maharashtra is also very good. We will win the elections. We will also perform very well in the assembly elections and form the government.

This time, will many MLAs or sitting ministers be given Parliamentary election tickets? What is the strategy?
 

Actually, anyone who can get elected to the Lok Sabha can contest elections. There is no restriction of MLA, MP or minister for this. Many things are taken into consideration by the party before entering the poll arena. The most preferred candidate found from  the ground report will be considered. Therefore, every time a new possibility definitely remains.

 

Does this mean that many new faces will be seen in the Lok Sabha elections?
 

This has not been decided yet. We will discuss when the Parliamentary board meets.

 

Some states in the country are still a cause for concern for you. In the southern states, out of 130 seats, you only secured 28 seats last time. What do you have to say about Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and West Bengal?

This time, we will do better. We will get more seats. The vote share will also increase. And in West Bengal, we can win up to 25 seats, far more than the 18 last time.

 

You allied with Nitish Kumarji again in Bihar?

He had gone away from us, and he came back. The mandate was with us always.

 

Switching sides frequently, does this not raise the question of credibility?

Whose credibility? We have not gone anywhere.

 

BJP's position has been weak in southern states for the last many decades. Can Prime Minister Narendra Modiji contest elections from the south this time as a strategy?

This has not been decided. But there is very good atmosphere for the BJP and NDA for the Lok Sabha elections.

 

Some people believe that if Modiji contests elections from the south, you can breach the southern fortress?

Such decisions are not made in the party. We need to strengthen our organisation in the south. Our efforts are underway.

 

In many states, BJP has given opportunities to new and young faces. Will this not affect the senior leaders?

As you said, they are indeed young leaders. We also came at a time when there used to be senior leaders. There is no particular reason behind promoting young leaders. Along with necessity and talent, new leaders are also considered. They too deliver good results.

 

BJP always speaks against nepotism in politics. But in BJP too there are many leaders and their relatives who are MLAs, MPs, and party officials. What would you say about them? Example of Karnataka's Yediyurappa can be quoted here.

About nepotism in politics, our belief is that the reins of the party should not remain in the hands of only one family. If many people from the family remain active in the party, we have no objection because they hold different positions. They work under the control of many people. The party is not under their control. Take Yediyurappaji for instance, before him who was the state president - Nalin Kumar, he had no relation with Yediyurappaji. Before him the Chief Minister was Bommai, and he also had no relation with Yediyurappaji. And Yediyurappaji is a member of the Parliamentary Board, it's not a big deal. These three people have been in active politics before 2014. When Bommai was the Chief Minister, he ran the government independently. At that time, you people did not print that there are differences between Yediyurappaji and Bommaiji.