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Updated: May 25, 2019 00:16 IST

Bhupender Yadav, general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, says that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style of governance struck a chord with the people, so they elected him for the second time in a row. He speaks of the party’s ideology and how it plans to take the nation forward. Edited excerpts:

What do you attribute this win to?

From the beginning of his term, PM Narendra Modi had specified that his government will focus on empowerment and uplift of the poor. During the five-year term, efforts were made to take schemes to the poor in a transparent manner, decisions were taken in national interest and India’s image internationally was given a fillip. To ensure continuation of this governance, the people of this country have again elected him.

But this election seems like a referendum only on PM Modi, not the party?

It is a matter of happiness for us that the party has created such a big leader whose acceptance, recognition and respect spans from north to south and from west to north-eastern states. Under his leadership, the social and geographical expansion of the BJP will happen.

How did the BJP overcome the challenges of caste calculus in states like Uttar Pradesh?

People don’t understand that in this day and age, no one caste can be a slave to any party or family. As far as BJP is concerned, we have given respect and a position to all sections of society. Those who are self-styled leaders of a caste are essentially only motivated by personal and family interest. Society does not think like this, and the results are showing.

What will be the party’s focus in the next five years?

Under the leadership of party president Amit Shah, in the past five years the party has expanded considerably, membership has gone up and we have adopted a scientific methodology. BJP is working in a mission mode to take forward its ideology.

The aim of this ideology is “nation first”...The work we have done is based on the aim of taking the nation forward.