New Delhi:

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about a range of issues including opposition attacks, his development philosophy, and the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Asked about opposition leaders’ criticism, PM Modi said that he does not regard them as his enemies. He insisted that he intends to work collaboratively with Opposition leaders.

“I never challenge and I want to take them along. I do not underestimate anyone. They have formed the government for 60-70 years. I want to learn the good things that they did. I do not consider the Opposition as the enemy,” PM Modi told NDTV.

PM Modi said he was open to constructive criticism and advice, from experienced Opposition leaders.

“If they have anyone experienced who wants to advise me then I welcome it. They can say whatever they want to the media – good or bad, but if they have anything to offer for the country’s good then I welcome them. I don’t wish any ill upon anyone,” PM Modi said.

“I want to get rid of ‘old mentality’. I cannot use traditions and laws that were made in the 18th century to build India’s future in the 21st century. I want to make a change by reform, perform and transform,” he added.

PM Modi also responded to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s declaration that June 4 (the day of election results) is be the BJP-led government’s expiry date. “She is speaking the truth. This government has to end on June 4, and then a new government has to be formed. This is constitutional that the term of the government has to end, there is nothing political in it. After the elections, a new government will be formed and we will form a new government,” he grinned.

“Main toh avinashi hoon, main toh kashi ka hoon.. Kashi toh avinashi hai (I am indestructible, I am from Kashi (Varanasi), Kashi is indestructible).”

The Lok Sabha polls are being held in seven phases with the results scheduled to be declared on June 4.
 

New Delhi:

In an exclusive interview with NDTV on Sunday Prime Minister Narendra Modi predicted a “historic” win for his BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and made special mention of his expectation from the southern states, a region in which the party has traditionally struggled.

In the 2019 election, the BJP scored a duck in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, and won only four of 17 seats in Telangana. It was only in Karnataka that the party made any major return, winning 25 of 28 seats. A significantly stronger score is a must in this election if it wants to achieve its ‘abki baar, 400 paar’ target, which includes 370+ for the BJP alone.

In the run-up to this election the Prime Minister launched a blitzkrieg of rallies in these states, making nearly a dozen visits to Tamil Nadu alone; the BJP is without a major ally in the state – in which it got just 3.7 per cent of votes – after the AIADMK quit the alliance.

Mr Modi has also made multiple visits to Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, making sharp attacks on the Congress and the party-led INDIA opposition bloc, which won 60 of the 129 seats on offer from these three states plus Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The opposition will want – particularly after the Congress’ big wins in Telangana and Karnataka state polls – an even stronger result this time, as it bids to stop Mr Modi and the BJP from a third term.

However, the Prime Minister told NDTV that in the battle for the southern states he is confident his party will be the big winner, because the BJP has “made a place… in the minds of the ordinary people” and they recognise the development works of his government.

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“There was a time when from Pashupati to Tirupati… it was known as the ‘red corridor’. That entire Naxal belt had been created. Today, gradually, it has vanished. People have started living in peace. Today, look across every corner of India – the northeast, Bengal, Assam, Odisha, the Telugu-speaking states (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana), Karnataka…”

“The BJP is progressing rapidly. There is trust in the government… and that is why I say that in this election, we will set a historic record,” the Prime Minister declared to NDTV.

The BJP, which won 303 seats on its own in the last election, did so thanks to strong results from the Hindi heartland. The party expects a similar showing this time, and is also confident of success in the north-eastern states, which have not always responded to it.

In 2019 the party won, on its own, only 14 of the 24 seats in the seven north-eastern states, although that score went up to 18 including seats won by NDA allies. This time around the saffron party is eager to win more and establish itself in the north-eastern region.

Mr Modi downplayed the suggestion that his expectations might be seen as overconfidence by some, insisting, “I do not live in overconfidence. I am a person who has his ear to the ground. I may think big… I may dream far… but I remain grounded.”

“Whether it is south, east, north, west, or central… it is rooted in the nation’s mind this is the government that works… a government that leads the country forward,” he claimed.

Mr Modi’s confidence has been echoed by the BJP’s No 2, Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Also speaking exclusively to NDTV, Mr Shah last week said the BJP would claim a “huge victory” in this election, and pointed particularly to the southern states.

READ | “Huge Victory”: Amit Shah’s Big Claim On BJP’s ‘Mission South’

“We are moving to a big victory in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu,” Mr Shah, who has also been active campaigner in these states, said.

The 2024 Lok Sabha election is spread across seven phases, of which five have been completed.

The sixth, in which national capital Delhi will vote, takes place on May 25 and the seventh, in which Mr Modi’s constituency of Varanasi votes, is on June 1.

The results will be out on June 4.

Pitching for streamlining of policies at central, state and regional levels, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told NDTV that if he gets the cooperation from states then India will be a huge draw for foreign investors.

“Industry se log jab aate hain, woh sirf Bharat sarkar dekh kar aaye utne se baat banti nahi. State government and local self government, teeno main ek samanvay chahiye neetiyon main (When an industry comes to India, it does not just look at the central government. There should be uniformity in policies at both state and local self government level,” PM Modi said in an interview with NDTV’s Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia.

“There should be competitive cooperative federalism. Ab dheere dheere rajyo main woh spardha aa rahi hai. Woh apne niyam theek kar rahe hain, bureaucracy ko mobilise kar rahe hain. Agar mujhe rajyo ka sahyog mil gaya, tab toh main maanta hoon duniya main koi vyakti Bharat ke siva aur kahin nahi jaayega (There is competition among states. States are making changes in rules. Bureaucracy is being mobilised. If I get the support of the states, I believe no investor will be able to overlook India),” PM Modi told the channel.

The selling spree in Indian stock markets by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) turned aggressive in May, partly attributable to a strong US dollar, sticky inflation particularly in the food segment, and poll outcome-related anxieties.

With over 10 days more to go in May, the latest data from National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) showed that foreign investors sold Indian stocks worth Rs 28,242 crore.

The Prime Minister, seeking re-election for a third term, was asked if the promised guarantees will compromise the fiscal discipline, said,”Mere case main kisi ko ashanka nahi hai. Jin logon ne mere Gujarat ke karyakaal ko dekha hai, main financial discipline ka bahut aagrahi raha hoon. Nahin toh koi desh chal nahi sakta hai. Fiscal discipline uska ek criteria hota hai (Nobody has any confusion regarding me. The people who have seen my work in Gujarat, they know I am a big believer in fiscal discipline. No nation can function without this discipline).”

The Prime Minister, 73, spotlighted how pre-budget articles said he will distribute ‘revris (freebies)’ and win polls, they were surprised to see that this is not a ‘chunaavi‘ budget (poll budget).

Blaming the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, PM Modi alleged “they did not pay attention” to fiscal deficit.

“The UPA government did not pay attention to it. It led to many side-effects. I believe (fiscal deficit) it should be religiously followed,” PM Modi stressed, adding his government has undertaken maximum and sustained economic reforms in the past 10 years.

The country is in the middle of a marathon six-week general election, which ends on June 1. Four phases are over. Three more remain.

The Prime Minister indicated that the financial markets will set new records after June 4 – the day votes will be counted.

India has one of the most liberal foreign direct investment (FDI) policies in the world and in fact more liberal than many Southeast Asian countries that the country is often compared with, Secretary in Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Rajesh Kumar Singh told news agency PTI on Saturday.

The government has eased FDI norms in the space sector by allowing 100 per cent overseas investment in making components for satellites, as part of efforts to attract overseas players and private companies into the segment.

FDI in India declined 13 per cent to USD 32.03 billion in April-December 2023, dragged down by lower infusion in computer hardware and software, telecom, auto, and pharma sectors, according to the government data.

New Delhi:

“Hamara palda bahut bhari hai (The scales are tilted in our favour),” Prime Minister Narendra Modi told NDTV in an exclusive interview, projecting confidence in his ability to secure a third straight term for his party, BJP, in the Lok Sabha elections.

Four rounds are over in the marathon six-week general election, the second biggest since the general election of 1951-52. Three more rounds remain. The votes will be counted on June 4.  

“Itna bada desh. Aap jisko (vote) dene jaa rahe ho, jaante ho kya, uska naam pata hai kya, uska anubhav pata hai kya. Toh ye desh ki janta dekhti hai. Koi party apne naam bataaye ya na bataaye woh tolti hai (It is such a big country. Do you know whom you want to give your vote to? Their name, their experience? The nation sees everything. Whether the party names the person or not, the voters assess them),” PM Modi said in an interview with NDTV’s Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia.  

“Aur hamara palda bahut bhari hai usme mujhe kuch kehne ki jaroorat nahi hai. Hamara palda bhaari hai, har koi jaanta hai (The scales are heavily tilted in our favour. I don’t have to say anything about that. We have the upper hand. And everyone knows it),” the Prime Minister, 73, told the channel.

The Congress, attenuated by poll losses and a string of defections, is part of the Opposition bloc INDIA taking on the BJP.

The Prime Minister, who has tasked his ministers to come up with an action plan for the first 100 days of his new government, told NDTV the route to success – stressing on scope, scale, speed and skill.

“The scope should be very big, it shouldn’t be in parts, and the second thing is scale, which should also be large. The speed should be in sync with these two. So, scope, scale and speed, and then there should be skill. If we can get these four things together, I believe, we achieve a lot,” said the Prime Minister, who is contesting from Varanasi.

The BJP swept the politically prized state of Uttar Pradesh, which sends most number of MPs (80) to Lok Sabha, in 2014 and 2019, winning 71 and 62 seats, respectively.

Congress, the principal opposition party, is contesting 17 seats in the state. It is in alliance with Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi party, which is contesting on 63 seats.

Rahul Gandhi, 53, is contesting from the family stronghold of Raebareli, a seat represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi five times. Akhilesh Yadav, too, took the poll plunge and is contesting from Kannauj.

Tune in tomorrow at 8 pm to watch the interview, which will be aired across the NDTV network.