Too much should not be read in lower percentage of voting in first phase: Ravi Shankar Prasad

If you compare this number with the last election in Bihar, only Navada (among the four Bihar seats where voting took place in the first phase) is a little less. But the core of Modi’s support across regions remains intact. What is the alternative? Is Lalu Prasad and his son going to form the government? Is the Congress going to form a government? Voters are seasoned, they understand this is a vote to elect the Prime Minister of India and they trust Modi Ji. They believe in his work.

This may be because of a variety of factors, including heat. The number of votes is always a variable, whereas what is constant is the voter’s trust in Modi Ji, his performance, and his delivery. Nothing much should be read in less voting.

I go by empirical evidence. Did you expect that in 2014 we would get the majority on our own? Did you believe that it would be repeated in 2019 with higher numbers? People trusted Modi, and they will do that again. The INDIA bloc is a conglomerate of disparate elements. Two ‘UP ke Ladke’ (Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav) have come together again. Earlier, when they joined hands, they got only 7 seats (in Uttar Pradesh). People have understood the phenomenon that is Narendra Modi Ji. It is time for the media to acknowledge that.

Many factors influence elections. There is the commitment of our party and its appeal, besides the appeal of the leader. Plus, there is stability, as well as cultural and emotional issues. Economic issues exist, as do issues related to national security. In a vast country like ours, all issues collectively impact the voter. There is a general feeling that India is poised to become the third-largest economy. People are happy that India has become the second-largest mobile manufacturer and the second-biggest automobile manufacturer in the world. People are impressed by digital India and digital power. Many farmers are happy as they are getting a lump-sum amount with the click of a button. People are relieved with how terrorists have been tamed and Pakistan has been shown its place.

Let me ask you: How many jobs did the Manmohan Singh government create in 10 years? Kindly compare the data from EPFO and see how many crores have been added since Modi Ji came into power. Remember that EPF is deducted only for those who are in the organised sector. Where government jobs are concerned, PM Modi has eliminated the interview bias. See the performance of Digital India and Start-up India and how many jobs have been created in mobile handset manufacturing. India has become a superpower in the digital payment system. The gig economy is creating jobs. Roads are being constructed at a phenomenal speed; does this not create jobs? From automobiles to digital power to infrastructure, jobs are being created in multiple sectors apart from conventional government jobs. Of course, we need to do more. In our manifesto, we have said that we will make India a big power in the fields of manufacturing, science and digital power. All these will create more jobs. Tejashwi Yadav is promising crores of jobs. How many seats is he contesting? Just 23. Will he be able to form a government? Will Rahul Gandhi be able to form a government? They are talking for the sake of it. I am citing concrete achievements and giving a clear roadmap for the future.

The agenda will be to make India a more empowered society, develop the economy and take it to third place from fifth place, make India a big manufacturing hub, and develop world-class infrastructure, besides tackling issues of education, employment, and agriculture. Plus, India’s civilisational core is there. We will continue developing the Ramayana circuit and cultural centres globally. These are commitments, and we will fulfil them.