By Sanjay Shah, Ahmedabad, 15 April 2014

Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Shri Narendra Modi was interviewed by TV9 network head Raviprakash. The episode was on air at 9.00 pm across TV9 network today.

Shri Modi was confident that BJP will cross the figure of 300 seats in this elections. He gave credit to young voters of this country who want a government with clear majority.

“The atmosphere I am seeing is unprecedented. BJP will get much more seats this time than any one party every got in last 25 years. Based on the atmosphere I witness these days, I clearly believe that people of this country don’t want handicapped government. If there’s strong govt with more than 300 seats, it will have ability to take decisions in parliament. The youth don’t want semi and loose govt. The youths of this country are out in the field to ensure a government with clear majority. We will cross 300 seats mark and don’t know will reach where above 300. People are going to give decisive mandate this time. ”

Modi said this is not Modi centric election. This election is for making the future of India. Shall we miss the 21st century? Aren’t we going to 18th century again? The young generation is not ready to wait any longer. The greatest strength of this election is hope. The greatest thing this election has done is to generate a new hope. There’s anger to kick out these people(present rulers), but the basic point of this election is creation of a new system with new hope.

Modi said Congress has nothing to speak about their own performance. Generally the ruling party sets the agenda before the elections. This is the first election where ruling party is not able to set the agenda. People have set the agenda.

When asked about selection of candidates such as Paresh Rawal and Kiran Kher, Modi replied: It is generally believed that new people, the professionals should be brought to politics, and if we want to bring them to politics, we have to make space somewhere. All types of people should be involved in politics. There are lakhs of party workers, but tickets are given to some 500 people, so all the other party men are useless? It’s not like that. To connect all, to use everyone’s strength is our working style.

When asked why he was contesting on two seats, Modi replied: The nation has seen a PM for last ten years who fought from nowhere and noone asked him(Dr. Manmohan Singh is from Rajya Sabha), that how you became PM without fighting from nowhere? In this nation, contesting from two places is not a new thing. It has happened in past. It is my party’s decision.

When asked which seat he would retain, Vadodara or Varanasi, Modi replied: Let the people take decision.

When asked about Ram Mandir, Modi said the BJP manifesto clearly mentions party’s commitment on the issue.

Modi said he never claimed Gujarat has gone ahead of China and America. He said, “we are moving forward with more speed compared to previous years. We never claimed that we went ahead of China or America,what we say is that, if someone else walked five steps, we walked five hundred steps in same time period.”

When asked who will succeed him as Gujarat CM, Anandiben or Amit Shah, Modi replied: “Narendra Modi can’t decide, whom to make Chief Minister. As per the party’s constitutional system, working style and tradition this question is irreverent. Party MLAs elect a leader and parliamentary board takes a decision on this. MLAs and parliamentary board take best decision in given situation.”

When asked about individual oriented politics, Modi replied: In last 12-14 years, one person was targeted with bogus allegations in such a way that every event was associated to him. Wasn’t that a vyaktivaad? The people who did it in last twelve years, who practiced politics of hate are paying now. I am against vyaktivad. The nation is so big that one can’t run it through vyaktivad.