Elections for us are like `open university,` BJP learns from every single poll: PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that his party BJP learns from every single election and the polls for the party are " like an open university". 

In an exclusive interview with ANI, the Prime Minister said wherever BJP has got an opportunity to work with stability, the atmosphere for the party is of "pro-incumbency, not anti-incumbency". "For us elections are, in a way, are an open university in which there is an opportunity for new recruitment and to improve ourselves. We treat it as a field of education," he said. 

The Prime Minister said BJP is always involved in serving people. "When in power, we work with mantra of `sabka saath, sabka vikas`. I can see a wave for BJP in all states. We`ll win with an overwhelming majority and people in five states will give us an opportunity to serve them," he said.

"Wherever BJP has been given the opportunity to work with stability, there you will find an atmosphere of pro-incumbency and not anti-incumbency. BJP always emerges into elections with pro-incumbency," he added.

He said it is BJP`s conscious effort "to not let the victory get into its head and we stay connected to the grassroots." The Prime Minister said the BJP learns from every election and makes the strategy for the future in case of defeat by examining how to reach more effectively to people.

The PM said he could not visit any state after polls were announced to five states as Election Commission had put in place some guidelines but he talked to party workers.

Taking a dig at Congress and Samajwadi Party, he said when a party is run for generations by a family, "there's only dynasty, not dynamics". "Starting from Jammu and Kashmir, where there`re two parties run by two separate families, you can see a similar trend in Haryana, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Dynastic politics is the biggest enemy of democracy," he said.

The Prime Minister said BJP has won mandates in Uttar Pradesh in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and 2017 assembly polls and will win the upcoming assembly polls.

Answering a question on party posters in Uttar Pradesh, he said BJP believes in collective leadership. "We are used to working collectively," he said. Referring to his picture on the posters, he said it was of a BJP worker "who is called Narendra Modi". 

"I believe that I am the same as them (party workers). I am not ahead of anybody or above anyone," he said. Answering a question on Uttar Pradesh, he said when people discuss security in UP, they think of their "troubles during previous governments, mafia raj, gunda raj, the manner in which musclemen had a status and shelter in government".

"Uttar Pradesh saw this from close quarters, women couldn`t step out. Today women say that they can step out even after dark. This trust is essential for security. There was a time in Uttar Pradesh when goons could do anything they wanted, today they surrender. Yogi ji prioritised security and didn`t compromise with it," he said.

Answering a query on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav taking credit for several schemes inaugurated during the rule of the BJP government in the state, the Prime Minister said it was an attempt to encash the good work done by the Yogi Adiyanath government.

"If someone tries to encash Yogi Ji's hard work and successful schemes, what I understand from it is that his schemes are so wonderful, that he turned impossible into possible, that rivals have also come out to encash it. I consider this Yogiji`s credit," he said. 

The Prime Minister said regional aspirations should be addressed for the country`s progress. "I was a Chief Minister too and understand states` aspirations. Earlier, leaders coming to India used to visit only Delhi, but I took them to different states," he said.

"We believe in unity in diversity but some leaders followed `divide&rule` policy...We identified over 100 aspirational districts in the country. Today, some of these districts have crossed the national average on many parameters. This is a way to address regional aspirations," he added.

Answering a query about his mentioning India`s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during his speeches in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi commenting on it later, the Prime Minister said he did not speak against anyone`s father or grandfather.

"I said what a former PM had said...It`s the right of the nation (to know). They say we don`t mention Nehruji. If we do, then too there`s the difficulty. Don`t understand this fear," he said.