Our opponents do not stand a chance: Jayant Advani

With deputy prime minister L K Advani busy with the Bharat Uday Yatra, his son Jayant Advani is campaigning in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (parts of Ahmedabad city are under the Gandhinagar constituency).

Accompanying him is his wife Geetika, mother Kamala Advani and sister Pratibha. Business Standard spoke to Jayant Advani on Friday on the chances of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state and whether L K Advani's absence from Gujarat will influence the election outcome.

How is the BJP placed ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections?

The BJP will come to power in the centre once again. People are convinced of the positive leadership of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the country has developed a lot under his leadership.

How many seats is the BJP expecting in the 14th Lok Sabha elections?

We expect over 300 seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections as compared to 182 seats we won in the last parliamentary elections.

What growth do you foresee for the BJP in the coming years?

You can fairly calculate that from the fact that the BJP has grown from winning two seats in 1984 to 182 seats in the last parliamentary elections.

With the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) fielding candidates from all 26 seats in Gujarat, will this divide the BJP vote bank?

In Gujarat, the fight is primarily between the BJP and the Congress. The entry of any new party will cut Congress' vote share, benefiting us.

What exactly is the scenario in the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency from where your father Lak Krishna Advani is contesting?

Even the opponents (Congress) in Gandhinagar know that they do not have any chance of winning the Gandhinagar seat, which is stronghold of the BJP and my father.

Do you feel that L K Advani is a suitable candidate to become prime minister if the BJP comes into power?

Well, I do not think on those lines. The entire country is impressed with the positive leadership of Vajpayeeji.

Are there any differences between the prime minister and the deputy prime minister on the leadership issue?

There have never been any differences between Vajpayee and my father. In fact, they are very good friends and maintain a very good relationship. This appears to be a story generated by the media.

It appears as if the BJP has mellowed down on the Ayodhya issue after coming to power?

The BJP has never neglected the Ayodhya issue. In fact, my father, in one of his recent speeches, promised a solution to the Ayodhya issue on a priority basis. The Shiv Sena and the Vishwa Hindu Perishad are very strongly related with the BJP and we have decided to take a decision on Ayodhya issue soon after coming to power at the Centre.

Has the BJP felt tied down because of working in a coalition government?

BJP, in the last five years, has strictly followed and worked on the NDA agenda and the results are reflected in the country's development in the last five years.

How far is it true that the BJP in the state has tried to suppress various facts related to the communal riots of 2002?

The government of Gujarat is doing everything to ensure justice for everybody affected by the communal riots.

The Congress claims that it is a political stunt of the BJP government to drag Sonia Gandhi into the Bofors issue just before the elections. They also allege that the BJP is trying to gain political mileage over the issue of Sonia's origin?

Nobody is trying to drag Sonia Gandhi into the Bofors issue. The CBI is investigating the case and the results will be made public soon. We do not need to make an issue out of Sonia Gandhi's origin either. It is already an issue. It is in the Indian mindset that a person of foreign origin cannot become the prime minister of this country.

BJP has also roped in lot of Bollywood stars and sports personalities to lure the people. How is it going to help the party?

People who have joined the BJP recently may be Bollywood stars or sports personalities but they are inspired by the party's vision and leadership. They have joined the party on their own.

Any immediate plans of joining the BJP?

Not as yet. I have decided nothing in this regard. I am here only to campaign for my father.