Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari is confident that his party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will return to power in the Lok Sabha polls in 2014. He denies being remote-controlled by the RSS and claims the alliance crisis in Bihar is “almost over”.
Mr Gadkari does not think that the multi-party NDA, which ruled India from 1998 to 2004, has been weakened because parties like the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) have left it.
“It is a to and fro process,” Mr Gadkari told IANS in an exclusive interview at the BJP headquarters. “Some parties might have left, but some other parties are keen to come into the NDA.”
Can he name the parties keen to join the NDA? Mr Gadkari: “We will disclose everything at the appropriate time.”
The 53-year-old politician insists that BJP cadres have been activated all across the country since he took charge of the main Opposition party over six months ago, succeeding Rajnath Singh.
“The mood is upbeat among party activists. The NDA will ride to power again at the centre,” Mr Gadkari said.
He cites the Opposition’s decision to unite for Monday’s ‘Bharat bandh to protest rising prices and the fuel price hike as a major achievement of his short tenure.
“We have been able to assemble all the parties on the burning issue of soaring prices of essential commodities.”
But what about fissures with the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and his disparaging remarks about Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad?
“It is a thing of the past. It is over,” he replied. The BJP president had called the two politicians “barking dogs” for allegedly going soft on the government.
Mr Gadkari is also upbeat about his immediate challenge — the Bihar Assembly polls due in October.
“The crisis is almost over,” he said about the rift between the BJP and JD-U chief minister Nitish Kumar.
What are the electoral chances of the alliance? “We will win. Hundred per cent,” he said.
Mr Gadkari, who became the BJP president after the party was routed in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, denied he had any problems with the party’s star leader L.K. Advani.