‘Pitroda raises ethnicity. Why shouldn’t we have a little fun? If Mani Shankar Aiyar’s Pak remarks play out… it’s to our advantage’: Hardeep Puri

How do you see the BJP campaign shaping up?

The mood is upbeat, even though some people are deliberately attempting a distorted narrative. They are saying voting percentages have fallen, that the BJP is worried. The BJP is the only party that has booth-wise data. I’m not saying that all our supporters at some booths turned up, but… you must also be able to do a granular analysis of whose voters turned out.

In 2014, we got the first absolute majority in 37 years. In 2019, we got 303 seats. If you get 10% more, you are at 333. If you get 15% more, you are at 345+. Hopefully, your allies will also get some votes. So, you are already at 380-390. I have been saying that in two places – West Bengal and the South – I see fantastic ground-level support for us… (And) The more challenging phases are over.

Why are you seeking ‘400 paar’ seats this time? Is there anything you could not achieve in 2014, 2019?

It’s not about what we couldn’t achieve. I remember how, before the 2014 elections, I would ask a friend in the party how the arithmetic would work. Somebody then told me, this is not arithmetic, but chemistry. And the chemistry that worked in 2014 was simple – the previous decade (2004-2014, UPA time) was one of policy paralysis… The BJP was not the election machine it is today. But there was hope.

The 2014 election (was won) on hope and chemistry, not arithmetic. In 2019, it was different. Some of us in the government were directed by the Home Minister to undertake a granular analysis of Central schemes and the beneficiaries. The total number of beneficiaries came to 22 crore. And you know how many votes we got? 22 crore! I have never been one to say that ‘If I get you a house, you will vote for me’. But equally I think, if you are a beneficiary, you won’t ignore that it’s what you got.

The number of beneficiaries is going to be much higher. I have been using the figure of 33 crore (beneficiaries). I’m convinced our count alone will see an increase of more than 15%; i.e., 356-357 seats…

However, as the election progresses, why has the BJP campaign taken a turn for the negative?

We didn’t run (a negative campaign). We entered the market with our achievements. But you know, if you are playing cricket and somebody lobs a ball at you… if you don’t hit it out of the stadium, whose interests are you serving?

Where did the negativity come from? They (the Opposition) claimed we wanted ‘400 paar’ to change the Constitution, to end reservations. It’s a mind game. They thought we would go on the backfoot, and I think for a split second they succeeded too. But we corrected it… And they got caught.

Would you say the Opposition has been more successful in controlling the narrative this time than in 2019?

I don’t think so. You attack Sanatan Dharma, for instance. There is a spontaneous reaction from a large number of people, including from your own party. You have Sam Pitroda waxing eloquent on ethnicity. Why should we not have a little fun? If Mani Shankar Aiyar’s statement (on Pakistan) plays out for the next three days, it’s to our advantage… When you get aberrations in results, it’s because the other side has been able to sell a narrative. The AAP did that in Delhi and Punjab. Now people see through it.

A recent CSDS survey found unemployment as the most important issue for 62% of the respondents. Is that a campaign issue for the BJP?

It’s the other way round… What do I want? I want my children to have a good education, a job… The total number of people who moved out of multidimensional poverty in the last 10 years is 25 crore. That is only possible if there’s an economically sustainable system.

The employment sector is more than government jobs, 20% of the country’s net revenue comes from oil companies. They are booming. It means economic activity is booming. What does economic activity mean? Jobs… And by the way, if jobs had not been there, you would also have a level of discontent which expresses itself… What my boss has been able to demonstrate is that good governance is also good politics. Before (Narendra) Modi, nobody believed it.

There are reports of BJP candidates not being allowed into some Punjab villages, facing protests from farmers, unhappiness among Sikhs…

I won’t say I disagree with you. There is a degree of unhappiness. I think the answer to that lies in understanding that ‘unhappiness’. We were a junior partner in our alliance in Punjab. The BJP never contested more than three of the 13 (Lok Sabha) seats in Punjab. It means the BJP had no presence on the ground in the other 10. The narrative of this so-called unhappiness comes from an erstwhile alliance partner (Akali Dal). For the first time, the BJP is contesting on its own. My assessment is, we will get at least five-six seats.

As a former diplomat, what are your thoughts on the foreign policy challenges posed by the ongoing Israel-Gaza, Ukraine-Russia conflicts, the US elections, and the allegations by the US and Canada of India being involved in assassination bids on their soil?

The challenges are going to be many… But, unlike my other colleagues, I don’t believe a large-scale war will take place… Where do we come in? I think we are extremely fortunate to have a leadership that is able to do some navigation and straight thinking. On the Ukraine-Russia issue, the PM said this is not the time for war… India is not only regarded as a voice of reason, but has effect too.

For the first time, the PM accused the Congress recently of taking money from Adani and Ambani. What changed?

I saw the PM’s statement and I think it’s pretty clear. He said ‘You used to keep talking of Ambani and Adani, but have been silent for some time’. And then he said, they got money in a ‘tempo’. It caught everybody off-guard, especially these guys (the Congress)… The PM is a very measured person… I found the statement very instructive and interesting.

Do you see Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest as affecting the BJP’s chances in Delhi?

You reap what you sow. He said he was against liquor, but the biggest liquor scams of all time took place here. It’s now documented… I think people have already caught on. The BJP has never looked at it from the point of whether it would help us or not.