BJP will be largest party: Jaitley

New Delhi

April 9: BJP general secretary, Arun Jaitley is called the master strategist of the BJP. This time, he has been masterminding the entire campaign strategy of the Lotus brigade. However, this is also for the first time, Mr Jaitley hit the headlines for wrong reasons. His rift with the BJP chief Rajnath Singh over the induction of controversial BJP functionary Suddhanshu Mittal. Mr Jaitley stands ground. Says, “Politics has influence on the society, therefore, everyone is concerned about it whether it is me or you.”

What is the difference between UPA and NDA?
There is a huge difference between both the alliances. UPA is evaporating and the core of this alliance is weak. While in the NDA all allies are working from one platform. One party (BJD) left the alliance but then we have three new parties joining the family. Also, within the UPA, small parties seems to be too eager to taste to power.

What are the prospects of BJP in the Lok Sabha elections? How many seats the party is going to win?
I would not like to speculate. But I can say that the BJP will come out as the single largest political outfit. If you compare the month of March and April, you will see that the picture is clear. While UPA disintegrated while the NDA is still strong.

What about NDA’s performance?
The NDA is at a handshaking distance from getting majority. Also there is a huge anti-Congress wave, which is energising the NDA and will continue to provide energy to NDA in a post poll scenario.

Your former party colleague Uma Bharti has decided to give her support to BJP’s prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani. What is your reaction on this?
One should never forget that a political party is like a family where head of the family takes decisions. There are times when the head of the family has to be strict while taking a decision but this doesn’t mean that you leave the family.
She has realised that she has no scope outside the party. What she did earlier was unfortunate, what she did now was natural as BJP’s ideology and belief in nationalism continues to be her ideology and belief.

How will be BJP’s performance in Bihar, UP and Jharkhand?
Our performance will be good in all these states. Along with our allies JD(U) and RLD, the NDA will score well in these states and there will be significant improvement in our numbers.

What about the rift between you and the party president over the appointment of Sudhanshu Mittal?
I don’t raise issues outside which I take up inside the party. I don’t comment on individuals but yes I would like to say that politics has influence on the society, therefore, everyone is concerned about it whether it is me or you.

How do you rate the Third Front ?
The Third Front has no significance. There are too many aspirants for the post of Prime Minister in this front. All of them would like to drive a hard bargain.
Any two issues which you think the UPA failed to address?
The country’s security and the issue of unemployment. The Centre proved to be weak when it comes to these two issues and the PM wasn’t strong enough to raise these issues.

Will Varun Gandhi’s controversial speech have any impact in UP?
It will have an impact in UP. People are not happy with Mayawati government’s move to charge him under NSA.