The BJP doesn’t need media to gain traction: Amit Shah

Modi will be addressing a gathering in Sahranpur (UP) while Amit Shah has initiated a communication campaign from Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Asianet managed to catch up with the BJP president for an exclusive interview

Asianet: What according to you is the biggest achievement of Modi government in these two years?

Amit Shah: We have announced more than 40 pro-people schemes. Our government focuses more on the solutions when crisis arises. We don’t shy away when faced with a crisis. We are proud to have responded to people’s problems.

Asianet: What is the difference between the UPA government and your government?

A.S: With the UPA government, the prime minister had no power. Our PM, however, is working like a role model leader. Everybody knows how inactive the PM was in the last government. Our PM has visited almost all the Indian states several times.

The UPA led government also saw rampant corruption, but you will not find that in our government. Our tender & auction processes, including the coal auction, are good examples of our transparency.

 The previous government had no idea about how to execute auction processes and other activities.

Asianet: Did you face the election in Assam after learning lessons from the failures in Bihar?

A.S: I have deeply pondered on the failure of Bihar, I don’t want to share my insights with journalists. But the situation is Assam was quite different. As an RSS worker, I had a dream to win in the north-east states right since childhood. Now that dream has come true after I became a national leader, I am happy. This victory is a result of hard work. We struggled hard it Bihar, but that hard work has finally borne fruit in Assam.

Asianet: What is your next mission in Assam?

A.S: As a politician, continuous work is my only goal. Next year, we’ll certainly win with a two-third majority in UP and Gujrat. Our situation is far better in UP than in Assam. We have 73 MPs.

Asianet: Who is your contender in UP?

A.S: Of course, it is the Samajvadi Party. They are the ruling party. But in UP anarchy exists at every level. Caste politics pervades there all over, right from the police station to the secretariat. Frustrated by this casteism, the people of UP realised that the BJP is their only solution in 2014. 

Asianet: Are you going to change Anandi Ben in Gujrat?

A.S: Well, it is all just speculation. I can only say that we will win in Gujarat with a clear majority.

Asianet: What is the situation in Punjab?

A.S: I have not been to Punjab. The Aam Admi party exists in Punjab only according to the media. There is a huge difference between Delhi and Punjab. We must consider which party has more hold in Punjab. Our alliance with Akalidal will continue.

Asianet: Who is responsible for the Uttarakhand breakdown? 

A.S: We have been doing well there as the opposition party. Nine legislators went against the congress party, how are we responsible for that? The central government imposed presidential rule due to some technical reasons pertaining to the finance bill. So far, the Supreme Court has not given its decree in this regard.

Asianet: The NDA is not expanding, and the Shivasena is also not in good terms with you.

A.S: You don’t see the NDAs growth and expansion, you want to remain blind to our growth. Just yesterday, we announced our north-east alliance. More than 30 small parties are in alliance with us.

Asianet: Are you negotiating with Jayalalitha?

A.S: We don’t negotiate with Jayalalitha or with Mamta Bannerjee. We fought with them in the last election. We have a good percentage of votes in both the states. We will work aggressively in the coming days, but as of now we don’t want to have any negotiations with either of them.

Asianet: Don’t you want friends for the approval of you bills in Rajyasabha?

A.S: We have a clear majority in the Lok Sabha. In the Rajya Sabha, we need others’ support to pass our bills including JST. In this matter not only Jayalalitha or Mamtha Bannerjee, we have negotiated with congress also several times. PM Modi himself has spoken to Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. Our leaders have many times negotiated with Gulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and other leaders. But Congress is withholding the bills. In a democratic system this kind of fractiousness is not acceptable.

Asianet: Don’t you think that your call for ‘Congress free India’ is too much?

A.S: In a democratic system, every party has the right to announce slogans and take over power. The Congress had not addressed many problems in our country for the last 60 years and we have the right to ask the people of our country not to give the party power.

I want to ask a question as a party worker, what is wrong in gaining political power?

Asianet: Recently your party celebrated Biju Patnaik centenary. Do you have any plans of an alliance with the Janata Dal?

A.S: So far, no such negotiation has taken place between us and Naveen Patnaik. Don’t relate both the issues. We celebrate Nehru centenary also. Does it mean that we are going to shake hands with the Congress?

Asianet: Are you going to announce Rajnath Singh as your CM candidate in UP?

A.S: As of now, we have won Assam and we are in the mood for celebrations. We have not yet decided on our CM candidate for UP. But you, journalists, are free to announce our CM candidate and write whatever you want.

Asianet: Are you going to pose the Ram Mandir issue in this election campaign?

A.S: We have not planned anything regarding the UP elections.

Asianet: Very rarely do you speak to the press people and spend time with us...

A.S: It is our duty to tell the people of our achievements in these two years as well as our future plans. We don’t depend on you. Our workers are going door to door to inform each and every individual of the country about the achievements of Narendra Modi. It is not good to depend too much on you.

Chaliye, phir milenge,..dhanyavad.