Mr Singh mentioned he has seen an unprecedented response whereas campaigning this time.
New Delhi:
Exuding confidence concerning the BJP doing nicely within the south, the place it had managed to safe solely 29 of 130 seats within the 2019 polls, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has mentioned there will not be any state within the area the place the get together wouldn’t win at the least a number of seats within the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP has by no means gained a Lok Sabha seat in Kerala and had did not open its account in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in 2019 regardless of profitable 303 of the nation’s 543 constituencies and sweeping a number of states.
In an unique interview with NDTV, the senior BJP chief additionally mentioned the perceived north-south divide when it comes to how folks within the areas vote has led to these elections as a result of the idea in Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strengthened throughout the nation.
To a query on how the get together would meet its goal of profitable 370 seats by itself and 400 for the NDA alliance on condition that it gained 100% of the constituencies in locations like Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi final time, Mr Singh mentioned different states, particularly these within the south would assist them get to the determine.
“I do not suppose there can be any state within the south the place the BJP is not going to win at the least a number of seats… In Uttar Pradesh, we had gained 62 seats final time and we’re assured of getting at the least 75 seats… These numbers can range by one or two,” the minister mentioned in Hindi.
Mr Singh asserted that the get together not solely has a presence in Tamil Nadu now however can also be able to win a number of seats there.
“I’ve been campaigning throughout elections for a very long time however the response I’ve seen in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh this time has been unprecedented. In Andhra Pradesh, I consider we should always win almost 20 out of 25 seats as a part of the alliance with the Telugu Desam Get together (TDP),” he claimed.
The YSR Congress had gained 22 out of the 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh within the final Lok Sabha elections and the remaining seats had gone to the TDP. The BJP is contesting the polls in an alliance with the get together and Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Get together this time round.
Determine Dipping In Karnataka?
In 2019, the BJP’s seats within the south had come from solely two states – Karnataka, the one state within the area the place it has persistently accomplished nicely, and Telangana. It had bagged 25 out of 28 seats in Karnataka – whereas the Congress simply gained one – and 4 out of 17 in Telangana.
Each Karnataka and Telangana have Congress governments now, and when Mr Singh was requested about surveys indicating that the get together would win extra seats in Karnataka than the BJP this time, he scoffed and mentioned there isn’t a query of that taking place.
“That may’t even be imagined. Possibly there can be a distinction of two or three seats however we can’t even think about that our seats can be decreased a lot and the Congress will overtake us. Our determine will improve in Telangana as nicely. It’s after contemplating all of these items that I mentioned the BJP is heading in direction of fulfilling its resolve of profitable 400 seats,” he asserted.
The defence minister additionally mentioned the north-south divide will finish after these elections.
“The opposition has been speaking about this for a very long time, however nobody thinks that means anymore. It’s because the idea in PM Modi has strengthened considerably among the many normal public. He has established a fame, a credibility for himself in Indian politics. Individuals consider he’s a Prime Minister who says what he does, that there can be no distinction between his phrases and deeds,” Mr Singh mentioned.
“And the way in which he has enhanced India’s stature on the world stage has additionally made folks really feel a way of satisfaction,” he added.
The seventh and remaining section of voting for the Lok Sabha elections can be held on Saturday. Counting will happen on June 4.