Zee Media Exclusive: BJP will win 300+ seats in Uttar Pradesh, says Amit Shah

BJP chief Amit Shah said on Thursday that his party would win 300+ seats in UP.

Delhi: Backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'kabaristaan' and 'shamshaan' remark made in Fatehpur during an election rally recently, BJP chief Amit Shah said on Thursday that his party was only raising those issues which were relevant.

"People who are not giving equal amount of electricity to all community are the one's playing communal politics, not us," he said, speaking in an exclusive interview to Zee Media.

"The 15 years of SP and BSP rule has left the state backward in terms of development. UP is number one state as far as rape, murder and law and order is concerned. The people of UP are fed up of SP and BSP and have decided to vote for BJP. The BJP will give pro-development governance in the state," Shah added.

He was also confident that BJP would get majority on its own. "SP-Congress has been left far behind in these elections. BSP is doing better than them. BJP will cross the 300 mark. We want a strong government in UP," the BJP chief said.

When asked about the good show in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the credit that he got for it, Shah said, "The vote was for the pro-development image of PM Modi. The PM is our tallest leader. His popularity is still intact. He is our asset... He is like gold, will always shine."

On BJP giving tickets to candidates who have come from other parties, Shah said, "The people have to decide whether to choose them or not."

"Not announcing a CM candidate for UP is our strategy, not a weakness. We did not announce a CM candidate in other states earlier too. Whoever will become CM of UP (if BJP wins on March 11) that person will be better than Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati," he maintained.

"Demonetisation will help BJP in UP polls," he was confident.

Regarding core vote bank for different parties, Shah said, "Our policies for farmers, youth, woman and so on, means that they are BJP's vote bank. Other parties are still depending on old methods of calculations."

"The BJP has always said that the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be done in a constitutional and legal manner," he emphasised. 

Asked about who the BJP can align with if there is a hung Assembly, the BJP chief dismissed the prospect and said that his party would get a majority on its own.

Shah also maintained that his party gives tickets to candidates on the factor of win-ability. His response came when asked about BJP not giving tickets to any Muslim candidate in UP.

"Muslims do vote for us at some places. When elections will no longer be held on the basis of caste and religion, Muslims will vote for us," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the fourth phase of polling for 53 Assembly constituencies of Uttar Pradesh today passed off amid stray incidents of violence, with an estimated over 61 percent voter turnout.

This phase of voting was crucial for the state's ruling SP and BSP.

They had won nearly 40 of these seats in the previous polls.