There was talk of Kiran Bedi joining the party. Declaring her name as the CM candidate at the last minute was not part of a strategy. There was talk of Kiran Bedi joining the party. Declaring her name as the CM candidate at the last minute was not part of a strategy.

BJP president Amit Shah speaks on a range of issues, from elections in Delhi, his party’s strategy and the nature of the AAP challenge to government-formation talks in J&K and Jayanthi Natarajan, in an interview with Liz Mathew. Edited excerpts:

How different is your strategy for elections in Delhi as compared to that in other states?

As far as the BJP is concerned, we have percolated the organisation to the lowest level — making one person in charge of each page on the voters’ list. Not that we didn’t do this earlier but this time it’s much more meticulous. Another difference is that we have had a structured political party to fight in every election but here we have a party (Aam Aadmi Party) whose campaign is based on just lies.

You said the AAP is the main challenger but a weak one.

The Congress is also there but the main challenge is the AAP.

Is there anything in the AAP that you, as a political leader, appreciate?

One thing we must admit: they tell lies with authenticity. Forget about the good and bad in the AAP, this (telling lies) is an ability.

Recently, your party has begun claiming that the AAP gets support from foreign countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh.

I have not said so.

The AAP’s entire politics is based on falsehood?

Kejriwal said he would not join politics, he did. He said he would never take Congress support, he took it. He said the AAP would begin a probe against (former Congress chief minister) Sheila Dikshit once it come to power, but he did not. He said he would make contract labourers permanent, he did not. He said his MLAs would travel in the Metro… everything was a false promise. He resigned from Delhi and rushed to Varanasi to fight. There he promised he would return to the constituency irrespective of the election outcome, but he never went back to Kashi.

Wasn’t some of that typical campaign rhetoric?

No, this was not. Taking Congress support was a moral issue, not filing FIR against Sheila Dikshit was a matter of wrong principle. These were lies, according to me. People will see through them. Tell me where has the AAP won? We had more seats in the last Assembly elections.

Less than a week, anything that worries you?

Not at all. We are very comfortable, we have a clear edge and it’s gradually becoming an election where we will get a two-thirds majority.

Why do you think the AAP has support and sympathy among the poor?

It’s not support or sympathy. The AAP has continuously been targeting this section because this (the poor) is a section that responds to someone who promises ‘I will give you everything for free’.

Have the BJP and Congress not connected with this segment of Delhi’s population?

See, if I say after coming to power I will make everything free, everybody will be excited. But we cannot do so. We have to run the party beyond 100 years, we do not want to disperse the party after two and a half years. We are a responsible party, we cannot give false promises to build our support base.

A common story you hear from many of them is that during the 49-day AAP government, the police didn’t extort or harass.

Naturally. Because Kejriwal had appealed to everyone to do sting operations. If one has to run the country like that, well, I do not want to say anything. Now he says why is a sting being done on AAP leaders. If you say “Ram Ram”, if you are so pious, why are you scared of stings? So this (the end of police harassment) was not because of administrative efficiency. Besides, the police were not theirs. The police were the UPA government’s. It was not something that could sustain. That’s why he left. He felt he would be exposed.

Why did you take so long to declare Kiran Bedi as your chief ministerial candidate?

Well, even after elections are announced, leaders are declared. For quite a while, and even the media reported it, there was talk of Kiran Bedi joining the party. Declaring her name as the CM candidate at the last minute was not part of a strategy. It just happened to be so…

You had promised statehood for Delhi.

Where have we given such a promise? I am not aware of any such promise. But let me clarify the party’s stand on statehood. I think full statehood to Delhi is a sensitive issue, it should not be made a poll issue. When tempers of election are down, stakeholders and parties should have a consensus on such decisions.

Your show-cause notice to Sakshi Maharaj was a surprise. How did that come about?

We discussed with those we had to discuss this with. I issued the notice and he replied. It is with the disciplinary committee. No one has made any (similar, irresponsible) statements after that.

Your record since the Lok Sabha polls has been one of uninterrupted victories.

I don’t fight elections to maintain a record. I fight elections to spread the ideology of the party throughout the country. The BJP fights elections because we have an aim which is to ensure that the entire country accepts its ideology and that the country moves forward with this ideology. Election is a process that comes in between.

What kind of a space do you see for the Opposition?

Naturally, the Opposition should have its space. After all we are in democracy. We cannot win 100 per cent.

Is there a space for Jayanthi Natarajan in the BJP?

She has not contacted the BJP, nor has she sent any message. There is no discussion on her entering the party.

If she approaches the BJP?

As of now, it’s not a matter we are considering.

When the UPA was in power, the National Advisory Council acted like an advisory board. Now the RSS plays a crucial role.

The UPA constituted the NAC just to accommodate Sonia Gandhi. We have no such issues. They had a dual power system and, in order to institutionalise the second power centre, they made the NAC. The BJP considers it wrong.

Do you think the present government needs a similar body?

The party is in consultation with the RSS. Running the country is the government’s job. We have consultations whenever required. The party puts its views on issues, it is asked its views.

What’s happening in Jammu and Kashmir? That’s one state where you have to work with an ally.

Our discussions (with the PDP) are on and have reached an advanced stage. We will have a Common Minimum Programme and other terms and conditions are getting settled. We will inform you. If I make any statement now, it would not be appropriate.

We cannot ask about who would be the CM?

It’s not yet decided. There are some issues on which decisions are not yet taken. CM also could be one of them.

The hurdle in the Rajya Sabha for legislative business is an issue. How will you work around it?

In a democratic republic, the house of the people should have supremacy. Every law for development of the country — and its people endorsed the house of people — gets stuck in the Upper House. This is not good for the country and it’s not a healthy tradition. The party that has majority in the Lok Sabha should have the say in issues related to development.

So you want the system to be reviewed?

No, I am just making an appeal. There is no need for reviewing. But it’s not right to stall Bills.

You have administrative experience from working as minister in Gujarat. Do you see yourself in the government?

The work I am doing is very important and I am very happy about it. The party has given me a good job and so many things are left to be done. Modiji is a wonderful Prime Minister and he is very popular. I have no intention of joining the government.

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