The BJP's prime ministerial candidate talks about his concept of minimum government and maximum governance, and how there will be less place for rent-seekers and status quoists in future government if he wins on 16 May

If you see more invective flying against Narendra Modi the closer he gets to 7, Race Course Road, the reason is now becoming obvious: Delhi fears the outsider they don’t know.

A short Modi interview given to Open magazine Managing Editor PR Ramesh might well end up confirming their worst fears.

In an attempt to explain his well-talked-about phrase “Minimum government maximum governance,” Modi brought out his most radical face so far. He said: “The country is facing trouble on all fronts because of maximum government. It is interfering with every aspect of life; it is not for changing the lives of people, but to benefit a few rent-seekers who think it is their God-ordained right to rule.”

For a man often accused of being in cahoots with crony capitalists, his attack on rent-seekers – Delhi is full of them – is significant. Most crony capitalists are essentially into cronyism in order to obtain rent-seeking opportunities. Modi has already sent a warning to them with this interview. After his attack on "news-traders", his venting against rent-seekers is new and interesting. Wonder who he had in mind this time?

Asked how he is going to prevent rent-seeking behaviour, he explains his Gujarat formula of a government driven by policy where there little room for bureaucratic discretion. "There should be little or no discretion. It is the grey areas that lead to corruption.”

But what could send a real chill down Delhi’s in-crowd of power-brokers and favour-seekers this summer is Modi’s statement which talks about why Delhi has been so vitriolic about him: “Delhi is being controlled by a cabal that has vested interests in the status quo. I will break the status quo. That must be making them uncomfortable and prompting them to level unsubstantiated charges against me.”

With the polls now behind him, Modi’s is slowly unveiling his agenda for Delhi.

Read the full Open interview here.