On Nikhil Kamath's Podcast, PM Modi Asked Whether Politics Requires Lot Of Money. His Reply...

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed various topics in his debut podcast with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath.

During the two-hour-long conversation, Kamath asked if money was essential in politics.

"If the youth of the country want to join politics, they say it requires a lot of money, which we don't have. In the startup industry, when we have an idea, we take money from our friends and family. This is called the seed round. How will it happen in politics?" Kamath questioned.

The prime minister shared a childhood anecdote.

"I recall an incident from my childhood. There was a doctor in my village, a skilled eye specialist who was also a great orator, fluent in Hindi and Gujarati. He decided to run as an independent candidate. I was part of the 'Baal Sena' and would go around with flags. He took a one-rupee donation from the people to contest the election. At a public meeting, he disclosed how much money he had received. I believe he only spent ₹250. He won by a narrow margin," said PM Modi.

"It is not true that society does not acknowledge the truth. You need patience and dedication. You must not have a 'contract' mindset, where you do something only for votes. With that attitude, you cannot succeed," he added.

Voter is also a politician: PM Modi

The prime minister called for a shift in the way politics is perceived, urging people to look beyond simply electing representatives.

"We need to move beyond the politics of just electing MPs or MLAs. If we engage in any work related to society, it has a greater political impact. For example, if someone runs a small ashram and educates girls, even if they don't contest elections, their efforts create a political impact," he said.

"It's important to view politics from a broader perspective. In a democracy, a voter is, in a way, a politician. A voter uses their mind when casting their vote," the prime minister concluded.