‘Airstrike has shown Modi is a strong and dependable leader’

Shahira Naim

There is an opinion poll that says the Balkot airstrike has greatly helped the BJP recover lost ground in Uttar Pradesh. Your comments.

I don’t think the party is dependent on any opinion poll to know this. It has little to do with the Pulwama attack or the airstrike. This is more due to the policies of the BJP government in the centre and the state as well as the continuous hard work of the party cadre, which has been quietly preparing for the Lok Sabha elections for the last two years. 

Despite working for the last two years, an opinion poll barely a month ago was predicting heavy losses for your party. What has happened between then and now?

During the last six months, the BJP’s outreach programme has launched 146 programmes to reach out to the people. BJP national president Amit Shah has fixed a target for 2019 to capture 74 of the 80 seats, one more seat than what BJP won in 2014. So every party worker has his or her task clearly spelt out and eyes firmly focussed on the goal.

The party has innovative programme to connect with the people. Things take time to make an impact. The environment is slowly changing. 

So it is just the BJP outreach programmes? Has the events at the border not added any impetus? 

Why not? People of the country have been energised by the events. They have seen for themselves what a decisive leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi is. He does not believe in empty talk but in action. The events following Pulwama, the airstrike, the diplomatic pressure exerted on Pakistan and the successful return of our pilot have fittingly illustrated that PM Modi is a strong and dependable leader. It also proved beyond doubt that the nation is safe in his hands.

So the Pulwama attack and the developments after that have indeed helped the BJP.

It has aptly illustrated the BJP’s tagline for the Lok Sabha election 2019 — Modi hai toh namumkin ab mumkin hai (With Modi the impossible is now possible).

There are other factors that have also been working in favour of the party. It is the fulfilment of our promise of Sabka saath sabka vikas.  People have seen how this government worked without prejudice for every section of society. And then people were witness to PM Modi not yielding to pressure and standing up to squarely face the challenge at the border. People like strong leaders as they feel safe with them at the helm of affairs.

— Shahira Naim