> How confident are you about BJP’s victory and what are the reasons for it?
The BJP did what it said. People’s trust is our biggest asset. We have the world’s most popular leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the whole country is proud of his leadership. In Uttar Pradesh, before 2017, the law and order situation had collapsed. There was chaos, there were riots. There was an atmosphere of insecurity. There was hooliganism and state sponsored terrorism and fear. Today there is rule of law. There is an environment of security. All sections of the society have availed welfare schemes for the poor without any discrimination. PM Modi’s mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ has been realized. Naturally, the distance UP has covered on security, good governance and infrastructure development under ‘double engine’ governments has benefited all sections of society. Keeping in mind the people’s trust in BJP and PM Modi, I can say with confidence that we will once again form the government with a thumping majority.
> Akhilesh Yadav has been claiming a wave in favor of the Samajwadi Party. What do you have to say about that?
The wave can be gauged from the fact that he (Akhilesh) was forced to write a letter to his father Mulayam Singh Yadav that he would be defeated by Karhal if Mulayam did not campaign in Yadav dominated seat. He (Akhilesh) is on a weak wicket. This is because Akhilesh’s Lok Sabha constituency is in Azamgarh. He could not muster the courage to contest from Azamgarh as he never went there after being elected (in 2019).
> Will the Congress make a dent in the BJP’s female vote when Priyanka Gandhi Vadra announced that 40 per cent of tickets would be reserved for women?
Firstly, the Congress did not allocate 40 per cent of the tickets to women. The Congress slogan (“I am a girl, I can fight”) proved to be a failure. Secondly, women have risen above family, ideology, caste and religion and are overwhelmingly voting for BJP on the basis of security and good governance.
> What future do you see for Priyanka in politics and especially in UP politics?
How can Priyanka have a future where there is no one for Congress.
> Why are you and BSP supremo Mayawati soft on each other? Is there any secret pact between BJP and BSP for a post-poll arrangement?
We have no agreement with any party. BSP is a strong rival of BJP just like Congress or Samajwadi Party. Of course, there are three opposition parties fighting for the second and third place. BJP will repeat its performance of 2014 (Lok Sabha Elections), 2017 (UP Assembly Elections) and 2019 (Lok Sabha Elections) and form the government with an overwhelming majority.
> Do you see that the Dalit vote of the BSP is getting transferred to the BJP because of the kind of candidates that Mayawati has fielded and her low-key campaigning?
BSP never campaigns in a high profile manner. Mayawati addresses public meetings whenever needed. However, there is consensus among SP, BSP, Congress and (AIMIM President Asaduddin) Owaisi to harm BJP. After failing to stop the BJP in 2019, he has devised a strategy and is fighting that battle unitedly.
> Akhilesh Yadav has claimed that SP will get more than 100 seats in the first two phases of elections. How many seats do you think BJP will win?
BJP is contesting ’80 vs 20′ – 80 per cent seats will go to BJP and rest 20 per cent seats will go to Congress, SP, BSP, Owaisi and others. The question is, if he (Akhilesh Yadav) is winning the elections in the first two phases, then what is the need for him to campaign? Why did they bring Karhal to Mulayam Singh Yadav?
> How do you see the personal attacks between you and Akhilesh Yadav – you are saying that he wakes up around noon, takes time to get ready and is surrounded by friends. He attacks you alleging that you don’t even know how to operate a tablet and you are the first CM against whom many criminal cases are registered.
These are not personal attacks. These things keep happening between us. We connected UP government with e-office. The first e-budget of the state was presented by our government. E-cabinet meeting in UP The important thing is that I do not operate smartphones and tablets for entertainment. For me it is the means of changing the fortunes of UP. He is concerned about the tablets and phones distributed to one crore youth. But our resolve is that we will give tablets and smartphones to one crore youth now and 20 million youth in the next five years. The truth is that Akhilesh Yadav is the son of a grown man. He longs for comfort. He gets up in the afternoon. Knowingly or unknowingly, he gives shelter to terrorists, professional mafia and criminals.
> Your rivals accuse you of being a polarizing figure. You have also become the poster boy of Hindutva. Are you happy with this image?
I am what I am. I should feel proud to be a Hindu. But my Hindutva is in favor of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’. Safety and respect to all but appeasement to none.
> Asaduddin Owaisi is considered as such. He is also considered a polarizing figure. Does Owaisi help BJP in consolidating Hindu votes?
It is wrong to compare Owaisi with me. Owaisi can be compared to Akhilesh Yadav, not me, because he also uses the same language as Akhilesh Yadav. I am a yogi, work like a yogi and will continue to do my work as a yogi.
What do you have to say about the Hijab controversy in Karnataka, which has spread to other parts of the country including UP?
We believe that the country should run according to the Constitution and not according to Shariat (Muslim Personal Law). Sharia law may apply to individual issues but the rules of any institution or constitutional body must apply to them.
Q. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami has announced that upon coming back to power, his government will implement the Common Civil Code in the state. Do you have any such plan for UP?
All the works coming under the purview of the state government will be done.
> How many seats do you give to SP, BSP, Congress and BJP?
Once again the target of 300 cross will be achieved by BJP. (BJP will achieve the target of winning more than 300 seats).
Pic: Ajay Kumar
> Has the farmers’ protest affected the BJP’s prospects?
There was no effect of the farmers’ agitation in UP. As much work has never been done in favor of Annadata as it has been done under the leadership of PM Modi. The first thing that happened after the BJP’s victory in 2017 was the loan waiver of 86 lakh farmers. Today more than 2.5 crore farmers are getting the benefit of Kisan Samman Nidhi. 1.60 lakh crore has been paid to sugarcane farmers. All the sugar mills operated during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Farmers will not fall under anyone’s influence. He was with the BJP and is with it.
> Has the Lakhimpur Kheri incident hurt the BJP’s prospects? The main accused Ashish Mishra has come out on bail. Do you think it will reduce your chances in the upcoming phases?
This matter is under consideration. A SIT (Special Investigation Team) was formed under the supervision of the Supreme Court. A judicial commission is also probing the matter. As far as bail is concerned, the High Court has accepted it.
> Its negative impact on BJP?
There will be no effect. Whatever the government did, it was done according to the rules and we tried to do justice to everyone.
Q. Some powerful images of COVID-19, such as migrant laborers walking the streets of UP, floating in rivers and bodies scattered along river banks have attracted international attention. How much damage did this cause to the image of the UP government?
UP’s COVID-19 management was the best in the country and in the world. The death rate in UP was among the lowest in the world. UP also gave the maximum dose of the vaccine and conducted most of the Covid tests. World’s reputed universities and institutes like IITs and IIMs have taken the COVID management of UP as a case study.
> You have claimed to provide employment to lakhs of people. But why does unemployment continue to be a plight for the government? On this, all the opposition parties attacked your government and said that you have not fulfilled the promise of providing two crore jobs every year.
It would have been better if these parties would have read the BJP Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra (Election Manifesto). We did what we said. The latest data from CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy) says that in 2016-2017, when we took power, the unemployment rate was 18 per cent. Today it is 3 per cent. We have said that we will add one person per family to job or employment or self-employment.
> How much has the BJP suffered due to virtual campaigning? How useful has social media been? What would you say about the virtual campaign of opposition parties?
The physical rallies have started now but in the first two phases more virtual rallies took place. It has its advantages and disadvantages. How can we connect with people using technology? I think BJP has been an expert in this area for a long time.
Q. PM Modi had praised Muslim women in Saharanpur on 10 February and had earlier claimed that women are silent voters of BJP who voted for the party in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections. Do you really think that Muslim women or even men will be the silent voters of the party?
The BJP is getting the vote of half the population, which has transcended the considerations of family, caste, ideology and religion, because the double engine governments of the BJP are working on security and welfare schemes for the poor. Half of the population has benefited the most from these steps.
Watch Yogi Adityanath Exclusive: UP CM Akhilesh Yadav on Hindutva, farmer’s protest and covid management
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