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Monday, Apr 19, 2004

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National - Elections 2004

Q & A: Narendra Modi

A former "Prant-Pracharak" of the RSS, the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, is the BJP's star campaigner in the State. But he strikes a much more mellow tone than he did during the "Gujarat Gaurav Rathyatra" before the December 2002 Assembly elections, and during L.K. Advani's "Bharat Uday Yatra.". Excerpts from his interview with Manas Dasgupta:

What do you think about the BJP's prospects in Gujarat?

It will be better than the results of any of the past elections.

In terms of number of seats?

It is not worth hazarding a guess at this stage but it will be more than the 21 seats the BJP won in the last elections, which by far is the BJP's best result in the State.

Why do you think the people will vote for the BJP?

It is for the first time that the people have got an opportunity to compare between the performances of a Congress and a truly non-Congress Government. In the last 50 years, the country was ruled either by the Congress or by leaders who had their roots in the Congress. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first Prime Minister whose "gotra" was not the Congress, and the people have seen the work culture, the policies and programmes of a real non-Congress government and are very happy with its performance. A general "feel good" atmosphere prevails in the country and in Gujarat, the people are doubly happy over the good performance of the BJP Government.

There have been reports of bickerings within the State BJP and the possibility of sabotage is not ruled out ...

It is totally imaginary. There are no bickerings in the party and we are fighting the elections as one. When people realise they cannot beat the BJP, they float such stories to try to create some uncertainties in the minds of the people. No one need give any credence to such rumours.

The hike in the power tariff for the farm sector that you have refused to bring down is considered an "unknown" that may tilt the balance in at least eight constituencies.

The Sujalam Sufalam irrigation scheme is my answer. If power tariff rates become an election issue, it will have a positive impact because the farmers will quickly relate it to the Sujalam Sufalam scheme. What the farmers want is water for irrigation and not power. The complaint against the tariff hike is that they will have to spend more for drawing irrigation water but when they see the Government is assuring water supply, they will not feel bad. This along with the "Jyoti gram" scheme, in which 24-hour power supply is assured, ensures that the farmers will have no cause for worry.

Do you think local problems will come into play or will it entirely be on the "Vajpayee factor" and national issues?

It will be better to discuss these issues after the election results are out.

You appear to be a much-changed campaigner from your "Gaurav Yatra" and the "Bharat Uday Yatra" days.

It depends on the people who observe and those who analyse. Each have their own perceptions, I leave it to them.

If the election results are as bad for the Congress as you believe, how do you visualise its future in Gujarat?

Not only in Gujarat, the Congress in the entire country will have to go back to serious thinking. The party will become so irrelevant in Indian politics that it will have to re-think how to make itself relevant in the changing situation. In the States where the regional parties have become strong, I think that the Congress will be almost totally annihilated and like the Left parties, the Congress will also remained confined to one or two States. It will lose its national character. In States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and several others, the Congress once defeated has not been able to stage a comeback for many years now.

Will the presence Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra affect the poll results?

I feel the decision about their entering politics was taken too late. When they entered, the entire election machinery was in place, the campaign agenda was ready and the leadership issue was decided. When the entire machinery starts functioning, tightening of one or two nut-bolts here and there will make no difference. May be the media think their entry will make difference, but the ground reality is there will be no change.

The Narmada and Kalpasar mega irrigation schemes are the visions of your predecessors. Have you visualised anything of comparable magnitude with a pure Modi stamp?

Such comparisons are not proper. Originally the Narmada project was visualised by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. But all my predecessors have done their bits and my successors will also have to play their part. If anyone has to be given the credit for Narmada, it should go to Sardar Patel. I think the time has yet not come for the evaluation of ''Narendra Modi.'' I have never made tall claims, but my "Jyoti Gram," Samras (United) village, the drive for girls education, the success of Vibrant Gujarat, Uttarayan, and such other schemes are enough to show as my government's achievements.

How do you like to be remembered by posterity, as a good politician, a competent administrator or a visionary of sorts?

Why should anyone want to be remembered by posterity? Our Vedas are still true and have given so much for the benefit of humanity but no one knows who wrote it. I do only what God ordained me to do. I only pray that I make no mistake and do nothing wrong.

You are seen as an emerging power centre in the BJP. What role do you see for yourself in the coming days?

It was a great thing when in 1992 I was made the fourth organising secretary, a post occupied by leaders such as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Sunder Singh Bhandari and Kushabhau Thakre.

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