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“It’s important for the country that BJP wins.”
This is how BJP President Amit Shah started his interview with the Editor-in-Chief of Times Now, Arnab Goswami. A confident Shah went on to say that “till the time UP, Bihar and West Bengal don’t get better facilities, India cannot achieve double digit growth rate.”
This is an important phase for the saffron party, especially in the wake of the ongoing Bihar elections.
The JD-U–RJD–Congress Mahagathbandhan, or the grand alliance has emerged as a formidable opponent, but Shah does not take them to be much of a threat.
“The fact that the opposition is united is not a matter of concern for us. In fact, it’s a matter of great pleasure. Our strength has forced the opposition to unite. Else, why would Lalu and Nitish, who have spent 20 years as political rivals, come together?”, asked Shah.
Amit Shah’s recent comment at a Raxaul rally that “if BJP loses Bihar by mistake, crackers will be burst in Pakistan” has invited the ire of opponents, who deemed it as inviting communal tensions. They have also been thinking of approaching the Election Commission regarding this.
Shah downplayed this matter saying, “What I meant was that if the BJP loses elections here, it’s natural for anti-national forces to rejoice. This is what I have said. What’s communal in this? I did not incite any religion.”
The campaigning for Bihar elections also included Sushil Modi accusing Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav of not taking proper action against Indian Mujahideen Yasin Bhatkal. Shah highlighted terrorism is the most relevant issue of this election.
However, development still remains the topmost concern for the voters.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)