As CM Yogi Adityanath shuttles between meetings at his official residence in Lucknow on Sunday, news of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi contesting from a second seat, Wayanad, pours in. “It is an insult to Amethi, if he’s also contesting from Wayanad,” Yogi tells Akhilesh Singh, Rohan Dua & Neha Lalchandani in an interview as he prepares for an arduous campaign for BJP. In a free-flowing chat, Yogi talks about SP-BSP pact and also takes on Congress that’s trying to make a spirited comeback in UP as he lays down his development agenda, including the success of the Kumbh...Q. How many seats do you think BJP would win in UP?A. We are working towards a target of 74 plus seats and we will win as many.Q. Who have you left the six for?A. We haven’t left any. When I say 74 plus, it means up to 80.Q. Do you think BJP will gain seats after surgical strikes?A. After Balakot, expectations from Modiji and BJP have risen. People believe BJP can respond to terror. There’s no doubt the government under Modi has given an exemplary performance on every front and his popularity has risen.Since 1947, the North-East has been a highly sensitive region. For months, it was under curfew. Different groups stunted development. After coming to power, Modiji prepared a plan. He appointed a minister in-charge for each state and told them to spend at least three days a month there. There is so much change now. The North-East has entered a new phase of development. Separatist groups challenging the sovereignty of the country, were immobilised in the first surgical strike in Myanmar. Separatist camps were destroyed and now there’s peace and development.There was a second surgical strike post-Uri and now after Pulwama and Balakot, people’s expectations have increased. If terrorism tries to dent security and sovereignty of the country, we will give a befitting reply. And we have shown we can do it.Q. Will Balakot airstikes benefit and result in gain of seats?A. The NDA government is successfully completing five years in power. There are no accusations against the government or its members. There is no anti-incumbency too. Even before the February-end air strike, people across the country would say their first choice for PM was Modiji. I agree the media’s viewpoint changed after the air strike.Q. Many say PM Narendra Modi and you are a combination of development and HindutvaA. We all want to take forward development and administration as our poll issues. We talk of development projects as Saubhagaya, Ujjwala, Kisan Nidhi and Kumbh. Congress ke log mandir mandir bhatak rahe hain. Akhilesh Yadav ne kaha hum Duryodhan ki murti lagayenge. Toh soch jiski jitni hogi, utna hi karega. Mai Rahul Gandhi ki baat kar raha hoon. Nakal ke liye bhi akal chahiye (Congress leaders are visiting temples. Akhilesh Yadav has said he will build a statue of Duryodhan. People are driven by their mindsets. About Rahul, I feel even copying others needs intellect).Q. SP and BSP announced they would start their first joint rally from Deoband on April 7. You started with Shakumbhari Dham in SaharanpurA. In the state, first phase of polling begins from west UP and Saharanpur is the starting point and nerve-centre of the region. If they have faith in Deoband, we have our faith on Ma Shakumbhari. This is why we started our campaign from the ‘dham’. We talked of our development plans. People have witnessed misrule by Congress, SP and BSP and how they used caste-based politics to be in power.Q. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra included Maa Vindhyavasini in Mirzapur, Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi and Hanuman Garhi in Ayodhya in her itinerary. What do you have to say?A. Achchi baat hai ki Modiji ke bhay se inhe ishwar aur prabhu yaad aa rahe hain (It’s good that fear of Modiji has made them god-fearing). This is the same Congress that submitted an affidavit in Supreme Court in 2005, saying Ram and Krishna do not exist. We are glad at least PM Modi has forced them to turn into believersQ. Priyanka-Rahul-Congress on one side and SP-BSP on other. Which is more challenging?A. In 2017, it was Priyanka Gandhi who brought two boys together. Logo ne kharij kiya. Chahe woh bua-babua ka ho chahe bhai-behan ka ho. Uttar Pradesh ki janta jaanti hai asliyat (People did not accept Priyanka move to bring together Rahul and Akhilesh. Be it a coming together of aunt and nephew or brother and sister, people of UP know their true colours).Q. Rahul Gandhi is contesting from both Amethi and WayanadA. If Rahul Gandhi is going to Wayanad, it’s an insult to Amethi. It's a seat that has been nurtured by his family for four generations. He no longer is in control of Amethi. He is now looking for safe passage.Q. You have been a key campaigner for BJP. You have addressed rallies across the country. But, don’t you think there should have been better co-ordination in the state with your team?A. We are part of the party’s national campaign strategy. Responsibilities are assigned as per demand of local units. Our campaign is focused on the fact that BJP is needed for the country and Modiji as PM again. There is good coordination in the state team which is why we are delivering and the state is witnessing development.Q. You have been a religious leader and now chief minister of the country’s most populous state. Which identity, among these, do you like?A. I have been in public service since I took over as head priest of Gorakhpeeth and I continued after becoming the Lok Sabha MP. But I am a yogi and also working as chief minister of the state. Both are equally important and I enjoy both responsibilities.Q. Your leadership is again being tested, following the defeat in Lok Sabha bypolls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur. Do you think general elections are a major challenge for you?A. There is a difference between bypolls and general elections. You often sense indifference among voters and workers towards bypolls. But, general elections elect the prime minister. Today, party workers are rejuvenated and involved in the poll process. BJP is focused on each Lok Sabha constituency.Q. The SP-BSP alliance is not only unprecedented, but comes with a huge vote base of Yadavs, Muslims and Dalits. Do you agree there is a big challenge to you?A. Marta kya nahi karta. In 2014, Bahujan Samaj Party was reduced to zero in Lok Sabha. Akhilesh Yadav played a clever game by joining hands with BSP so that he can save his skin and use Dalit votes to win a few seats. BSP will again return with zero seats.Q. In 2017, you talked about bringing anti-Romeo squads and raked up issues of boundary walls outside kabristans. Now these issues do not exist ...A. These were not poll issues. It was needed to fix these concerns and we did this after coming to power. Now, the money used for graveyards is also going to crematoria (shamshan ghats). Also, we have restored dignity of women and girls in two years.Q. PM is launching the Mai Bhi Chowkidar campaign on this day. Opposition is alleging BJP wants to make everyone a chowkidar..A. Everyone fighting corruption, poverty and oppression is a chowkidar. A chowkidar can be a small or a big man. His thought process is the cradle of watchmanship. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Kumbh and cleaning feet of five safai karmis to give them respect is also a watchman’s job. He has brought more than 125 schemes to brighten lives of people, without involving their religion, caste or region.Q. Ram Mandir has always been part of most poll speeches. Will it be Balakot or Ram Mandir this time?A. Our issue is development and security as well. We have given priority to both internal and border security. Ram Mandir was never a poll issue. It is a matter of faith.Q. There are comparisons between you and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Many in BJP believe you could be his successor..A. Modiji humare neta hain, margdarshak hain. Unki prerna se hume safalta prapt ho rahi hai. Poora desh Modiji ke saath khada hai. Unhi ke leadrship mai chunaav lad rahe hain (Modiji is our leader and he shows us the way. It’s his inspiration that is getting us success. The entire country is with Modiji and we are fighting this election under his leadership)Q. Will BJP will win most seats in UP due to your popularity or PM's fame?A. Modiji hamare neta hain. Modiji ke naam aur unke kaam, dono se BJP ko safalta milegi (Modiji is our neta. BJP is successful because of his name and work).Q. Ahead of Kumbh, several factories, including tanneries in Kanpur were shut. This hurt employment.A. We followed NGT and Supreme Court guidelines. There has be respect for policy on discharge of waste. In the last two years, we have been asking these factories to install CTPs (common treatment plants). The government has given money. We have installed cameras and regularly monitoring discharge. We have installed STPs as well. Wherever it could not be used, we have used bio plants.Q. What’s your take on Nishad Party?A. Their leaders came to us and I asked them to meet the central leadership. Although there is no alliance, but it indicates which way the wind is blowing. There is a Modi wave and other parties want to take advantage of it.Q. Recently Aseemanand was acquitted in Samjhauta blasts case. Your party accused Congress of coining terms like “Hindu terror” and made accusations of misuse of NIA..A. Congress should apologise to people of India. By framing Aseemanand, Congress projected Hindu society as a terror group. A conspiracy was hatched by Congress and government of that time to show the Hindus in bad light. Acquittal of Aseemanand is an example of the extent Congress can go to for appeasement of a particular community and for a handful of votes.Q. At a recent rally, you termed Imran Masood as “damaad” of Masood Azhar …A. I didn’t take any names, but certainly Congress leaders have no respect for senior leaders. And party leaders use foul language against the Prime Minister. Congress takes name of most wanted terrorist Masood Azhar respectfully using “Ji”. I had said people who use the language of Azhar Masood should be identified and punished by the people of the country through their power of votes.Q. The recent Kumbh was considered to be successful. But there were accusations that state government tried to extract political benefits through the event?A. Kumbh is a symbol of our faith and it was our duty to make it a grand occasion. It’s not the first time that we have shown commitment to our heritage and culture. It was Modiji who took the initiative to have June 21 observed as World Yoga Day. Similarly, we celebrated Deepawali in Ayodhya, which had never happened before. The festival is organised to mark the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, but it was never celebrated in the city. It was PM who guided us to organise the Kumbh in a grand way.The event won laurels from across the world and it was recognised by several international agencies, including Unesco. Ambassadors of 71 countries, NRIs from 73 countries and people from 193 countries were part of over 24 crore people who visited Allahabad during Kumbh. The event earned laurels for the cleanliness standards and security arrangements. It was the guidance of Modi that people can now visit the sacred Akshayvat after 450 years. People who had seen the 2013 Kumbh might have come this time too and they must have realised the difference.

Stay updated with all the Lucknow Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.