'Abki Baar 400 Paar' Not A Slogan, But A Resolution For BJP: Rajnath Singh

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Bharatiya Janata Party's slogan for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, 'Abki baar 400 paar' (this time above 400 seats), isn't just a slogan but a resolution. "After six phases, we're very confident of crossing that number," he said.

The senior politician, in an exclusive interview with NDTV, said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance will win more than 400 seats in the lower house of the Indian parliament, up from the present tally of over 350 seats.

The manner in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has elevated India's reputation globally has instilled a sense of pride among the people, Singh said, contending that this will aid the BJP's electoral performance.

"... He (Modi) has built a strong reputation and credibility for himself in the realm of Indian politics," Singh said. "The public perceives him as a leader who follows through on his promises, ensuring alignment between his words and actions."

Singh said the BJP would perform well across the country, be it in the north or south.

"I don't think there will be any state in the south where the BJP will not win at least a few seats," he said. "In Uttar Pradesh, we had won 62 seats last time and we're confident of getting at least 75 seats. These numbers can vary by one or two."

"In Andhra Pradesh, I believe we should win nearly 20 out of 25 seats as part of the alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)," he said.

The defence minister expressed confidence that the party's tally wouldn't change much in other states.

"In Karnataka, there could be a slight difference of two or three seats, but it is beyond belief that our seats will decrease significantly and (Indian National) Congress will surpass us. Additionally, our figure will increase in Telangana as well," he said.

"Taking all these factors into account, I confidently state that BJP is on track to achieve its goal of securing 400 seats."

"The problem of unemployment has existed for a long time, whenever the Congress was in power," he said, adding that the principal opposition party never addressed the issue.

"They should have taken effective steps but didn't. Under PM Modi, many steps have been taken to reduce unemployment," he added.

Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's accusation that the BJP would "tear up and throw away" the Indian constitution once the BJP returns to power, Singh said that it was the Congress that altered the Preamble to the constitution in 1976.

"Our constituent assembly agreed amendments were necessary. Congress and others have done this often, but now blame us," he said. "The BJP doesn't even consider it."

Singh said the BJP has no plans to end caste-based reservation but opposes religion-based reservation. "We need reservations for the other backward classes (OBCs) and scheduled tribes (STs)."

On the Agnipath scheme of recruitments to the Indian army, Singh said that it has been a success and will remain so.

"...One of the factors behind starting this scheme is to bring more young people into the armed forces," he said.

The defence minister reassured young people that their future would not be jeopardised. "An Agniveer is eligible from 18 years of age and will remain so for four years. They will learn new skills, and at the end of the four years, they will have a few lakhs of rupees," the senior BJP leader said, refuting allegations that the Agnipath scheme would harm the future of young adults entering the workforce.

"If any of them wants to find a job, they can. If any of them wants to enter the paramilitary forces, they can. If they want to enter the service, of course they can. We have even kept reservations for them," Singh said. "The private sector also wants to hire Agniveers."

Singh dismissed accusations over Chinese incursions on Indian territory by stating that no one can occupy even an inch of land in the country. The government had refuted such allegations in the recent past, too.

"As the defence minister, I want to assure the citizens that no one can capture even one inch of land in the country," he said.

"Commander-level talks are being held currently between India and China in a good atmosphere and I think we must wait for the results. But if I start discussing what's at which point, people will feel proud," Singh said. "But I don't want to reveal the details right now because talks are underway between the two countries."

He also said the BJP has never questioned the courage and bravery of the country's soldiers.