“THE BJP IS NEVER COMPLACENT. WE HAVE TAKEN ALL STEPS TO WIN IN 2022”

After holding an hour-long video conference with state party leaders on December 1, Bharatiya Janata Party president J.P. Nadda sat down for an exclusive interview with Raj Chengappa, Group Editorial Director (Publishing) and Anilesh S. Mahajan, Senior Editor, at his Delhi residence, in which he discussed his party’s prospects and the challenges it faces in 2022. Excerpts:

- Raj Chengappa and Anilesh S. Mahajan

Q.Five states go to the polls in early 2022, and two more towards the end of the year. What are the challenges the BJP faces in these elections, especially with regard to anti-incumbency, since your party is in power in six of these states?

In any election, there are many factors to consider, and all of them are important. Our style is to understand each state’s issues—its leadership, governance, our cadre’s momentum, the behaviour of opposition parties and where our party organisation in that state stands at that moment of time. The BJP tries to address every issue—we are never complacent and we are always ready to reorient our strategy. Like, in Uttar Pradesh, this is probably the first time that there is pro-incumbency in the election. Yogi Adityanath has shown strong leadership, be it in his handling of law and order and development issues, or change at the grassroots level. As the leader of a BJP-ruled state, he has used the support provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the good of the state. I feel that in the elections in February we will be able to retain Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Goa.

Q. The BJP changed chief ministers in two states going to the polls in 2022— Gujarat and Uttarakhand. What was the strategy behind these decisions?