According to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies would win more than 400 seats in the current elections as voters from a wide range of demographics are putting their trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
During an interview at his Delhi home with R Sukumar of Hindustan Times and Shashi Shekar of Hindustan, Shah stated that people from all social classes and castes are voting for Modi, to the extent that even those who support other parties are certain he will become prime minister for a third time. According to him, the BJP will keep the majority of its current seats and gain more in previously untapped areas.
"We are going to perform incredibly well in Odisha and West Bengal. We will have between 24 and 30 seats in West Bengal. We will win more than 17 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats and form the government in Odisha (the state's assembly elections are taking place concurrently)," declared Shah. Furthermore, he said, the BJP would hold the most seats in all of South India. Concerns about a slightly lower turnout this time around, according to the minister, were exaggerated.
"After the first round of voting, I was concerned about the turnout figures, but when the third round of voting started, I found that the people from the opposition were not participating. They think it would be preferable to stay indoors during the sweltering summer months rather than venture outside to cast their ballots, and they are extremely disheartened that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already won."
However, this is bad for democracy. They ought to have voted as well, but turnout has decreased as a result of the general dissatisfaction among the voters in the INDIA bloc. West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura are among the states with high voting percentages this time around. However, voter turnout has always been strong in these states as well. Analyses will reveal a relationship between this decline and regions in which the Congress has historically enjoyed support.
The home minister stated that the tremendous attendance in the Kashmir valley was promising in this regard and that he had received positive response from grassroots activists all over the nation. I never have a demonstration without meeting with 40–50 of our employees to talk about the issues at hand. Their comments indicate that there is no need for concern.
The minister responded, "This is just wordplay, when asked if the election was effectively a vote on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Candidates for the position of prime minister have been decided upon by both parties. There has only been projection of Rahul-ji (on the opposite side); Mallikarjun Kharge-ji has not been mentioned. Under Modi-ji's direction, we are running for elections, and he will make his third term as prime minister."
When asked how much of an impact problems like unemployment and inflation would have, Shah responded that they were discussed during the previous election as well, but that it did not harm the BJP's chances of winning because people know how much the Modi government has accomplished in terms of job creation.
Claims that opposition figures appear to be shielded from Enforcement Directorate (ED) action if they join the BJP and are then not subject to raids or summonses were dismissed by Shah. For them, the summoning and raid phase is over. Charge sheets are in the file. After this, the agency is powerless. He said, "The court must make the decision." Shah stated that the following action "will happen (in court) when their turn comes."
