People of Uttar Pradesh have rejected the

government’s claims of development, Union home minister

told

Economic Times

in an interview. Excerpts:

Is the

losing steam in UP as some people say? How many seats do you expect the party to win in this election?

BJP’s opponents are charging the party with attempts to polarise the electorate…

How would you explain statements of Sakshi Maharaj and Yogi Adityanath?

What is the main agenda that the BJP is pushing in this election – development or polarisation?

Why has the BJP resurrected the issue of Ram temple in its manifesto?

Which party is the BJP’s main opponent in UP?

How do you see the SP-Congress slogan ‘UP ko yeh saath pasand hai (UP likes this togetherness)’?

is seeking another term on the basis of his development works. Does that pose a challenge for the BJP?

Don’t you agree with Akhilesh Yadav’s claims of development during his term?

Do you see the UP election as a referendum on demonetisation?

Why has the BJP changed tack in this election to promise populist measures such as loan waiver?

How would you respond to your opponents’ charge that the BJP is yet to fulfil its 2014 promise of ushering in ‘achche din (good days)’?

Is the BJP worried over the recent image makeover of Akhilesh Yadav?

He has got rid of people who were not letting him work…

Doesn’t a more assertive Akhilesh Yadav pose a bigger challenge to the BJP?

How do you view BSP chief Mayawati’s repeated allegations that the RSS and BJP are anti-reservation?

Why did ticket distribution trigger such huge resentment within BJP?

Do you think the party made some mistakes in ticket distribution?

Despite BJP’s claims to being a party with a difference, it has given tickets to the kin of several leaders?

You campaigned for one such candidate in Kairana yourself…

Will you campaign in Noida for your son?

Why is that so?

What if the party schedules your programme in Noida?

Won’t that be an injustice to Pankaj Singh, UP BJP general secretary?

Does the BJP feel handicapped by not projecting a chief ministerial candidate in UP?

Given your whirlwind tours, are you also looking towards going back to Lucknow?

Will Rajnath Singh become UP chief minister again?

Will you consider it if the party asks you?

The Jat farmers in western UP are reportedly annoyed with the BJP after casting their lot with the party in 2014…

They are said to be upset because the BJP didn’t push for their reservation and has been lax in sugarcane payments as well…

You said in a speech that you didn’t initially plan to visit Pakistan for SAARC meeting. Why did you go then?

Do you think Pakistan will mend its ways?

Kabhi na kabhi toh sudhrega hi

This impression is only among those who are sitting in armchairs at their homes. BJP will get an absolute majority in UP.This is completely baseless. I have never ever in my life practised politics on the basis of caste, sect or religion. BJP’s ideology doesn’t permit discrimination on the basis of caste, sect or religion. Everyone born in India is equal for us.I am not going to talk about individuals, but what I told you is a fact…We cannot even think of polarisation. A party thinking of running such a large state and country cannot even think of polarisation. We never believe in divisive politics, we always work for an inclusive politics. We dream of nation-building, we cannot achieve this by fomenting social divisions. All those born in India – whether Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Parsi – are brothers.Ram temple issue is sub-judice. Wait for the verdict.There is no one party uniformly contesting against the BJP. At some places it is SP-Congress alliance while at others it is BSP. But BJP is uniformly in contest in every assembly segment.The public is not going to get trapped by this alliance now. Janta ne dekh liya hai ki yeh donon kamzor partiyan satta ki hawas ko poora karne ke liye saath aayi hain (The public has seen that these two weak parties have come together only for their lust for power). They shook hands despite their ideological differences. They have forgone their political ideologies for this. Mulayam Singh has said so himself that his son has forsworn all principles of SP.You should see the public response to questions on their (SP’s) claims of development. People reject those claims. I have also presented official statistics to dispel this false impression. Individuals can tell a lie, but not those statistics on growth rate, agriculture growth, and law and order related crime statistics.Absolutely not.I do not believe that an election for Lok Sabha or assembly becomes a referendum on only one issue or topic. Elections always encompass many issues. Local issues also hold huge importance in assembly elections. Demonetisation, otherwise, has been universally welcomed. I get tremendous response in my rallies whenever I raise the issue of demonetisation in my rallies.We are promising what we plan to do. We are not giving empty slogans. Personally, I speak about only those things that I can honour. Otherwise, I will not promise it. Credibility can never be compromised.That is the case in Uttar Pradesh, they mean. Actually, un logon ne grahan laga rakha hai na (They have eclipsed UP). That is why they cannot see it. One cannot see reality in times of eclipse. Pradesh sarkar ne grahan laga diya hai (The state government has caused an eclipse).An image of a leader emerges on the basis of his work.But he has given them their place back. And why did it take four and a half years? He should have tried it earlier. He expelled them only to take back and give tickets. Why did he remember to do so only when elections were three months away? People have lost faith in SP. I think Mulayam Singh’s initial reactions to Akhilesh were spontaneous and true. He said that he had opposed Congress always to build a strong party, but it has gone down the drain now.If he had such a great image, why did he need an alliance? This itself suggests that Samajwadi Party has weakened. Why should one worry about a weakened person?Basically they (BSP) don’t have an issue. Reservation and communalism are two issues that our political opponents rake up in every election. Yeh ek jazbaati shoshan hai logon ka (These are attempts to exploit public sentiment).It is such a large political party with such a huge cadre. Obviously, workers will have their desires. But those aspirants are now working. If some workers have been left out, their dignity and pride will be properly attended to.It is such a large state; there could have been errors in a few seats.We are still a party with difference.Someone (Hukum Singh, Lok Sabha member from Kairana) has taken a decision not to contest elections in future.I do not need to campaign in Noida.He (Pankaj Singh) has been working for the party for the past 14-15 years. People know him already.I will request the party not to do so.Where is the injustice? Our national president (Amit Shah) has already campaigned for him. Pankaj is also aware that I will not come (for his campaign). He knows that when his father cannot ask for his ticket, he will also not come for his campaign.No. These are matters of strategy. Sometimes we have projected (a CM candidate) in some states, at other times we have not done so. In Haryana and Maharashtra, we did not project, but we projected in Assam. Not projecting is also part of the strategy. And, there are many faces in UP.I am always assigned campaign tours, in every election.This is a hypothetical question.This is a hypothetical question.The community has huge affection for me.There is reservation for them in UP.I had instructed to send the minister of state initially. I decided to go myself after officials informed me that protests were being organised against the participation of India’s home minister. Accepting challenges is in my nature. That’s why I decided to visit myself.It should mend its ways…(It will have to mend its ways one day).