The BJP is set for a major revival in eastern Uttar Pradesh, says, the party’s tallest local leader and fourterm MP from Gorakhpur. In an interview withAdityanath says the ‘Narendra Modi wave’ and anger against the other parties will fetch the BJP more than 20 of the 36 seats in the region where the party won just four seats the last time round. The party is poised to win 55-60 of the 80 seats in the state, he says. Edited excerpts:There is an unmissable Narendra Modi wave in Uttar Pradesh this time. BJP will win the largest number of seats in the state and the history of the 1998 general assembly elections, when BJP won a record 57 seats (out of the 85 seats in undivided UP), is going to be repeated this time. Are you willing to predict the number of seats the BJP will win? I feel BJP will win 55-60 of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh this time.In east UP, I can guarantee that we will win 60-75 per cent of the seats this time. We will win over 20 seats here, for two reasons. One is the Narendra Modi factor. Have you ever seen such hugely attended rallies in UP? The rallies in Varanasi and Gorakhpur were among the largest ones, showing there is a lot of enthusiasm among the people and that enthusiasm will solely benefit the BJP. That is coupled with another big reason – the deep anger the people of the state have against the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress.The caste factor will not work this time. Every caste here is not just victimised but also hurt and humiliated. Every caste is fed up of the misrule of the SP government and every caste is deprived of the basic necessities of life in eastern UP. Where is the development in eastern UP? That is why the caste factor will not work this time – the factor of national interest will work.Modi ji will fight from where he and the BJP parliamentary board deem fit. But wherever Modi ji contests from – be it Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat or Delhi – his name will prove beneficial to the BJP’s campaign throughout the country.Akhilesh Yadav has converted Uttar Pradesh into a Communal Riot Pradesh. Muzaffarnagar riots were just the latest. During the tenure of this government – which will complete two years in a few months – there have been over 150 communal riots in the state. The chief minister himself admitted in the Vidhan Sabha recently that 65 people died in the Muzaffarnagar riots. So what is this but the complete incompetence of the SP government? If the Akhilesh government claims that it knows who is getting the riots done and the government is not able to stop it, then this is an incompetent government which has no right to remain in power and should be dismissed forthwith.The fight will be with different parties in different regions. In some places, the SP will try to misuse its position as the party in power. In a number of other seats, the BSP will be in direct competition with us.Congress will be put up a fight on just about four-five seats in UP. In eastern UP, Congress will be wiped out.Please do not see me and the BJP separately. I am giving this interview to you as a BJP MP. I am working wholeheartedly for the BJP to get it the maximum seats in Purvanchal and the entire state and propel Modi ji as the next PM.