Whether we win or lose, elections are an open university for us: PM Modi ahead of 5-state polls

New Delhi, Feb 9: A day before the first of the seven-phase assembly elections of five states begin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his confidence over emerging victorious in forthcoming polls.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, PM Modi said that the BJP will win elections with a full majority in all five states - Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand, Manipur.

He reiterated BJP's vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', saying that the saffron party will work for the welfare of the people whether in power or not. "When we are in power, then with great energy and on a large scale we work with the mantra 'Sabka Saath, Saabka Vikas' (with everyone's participation, we ensure the development of all)," the Prime Minister told ANI.

The PM stated that all the BJP-ruled states are having pro-incumbency. "Wherever BJP got the opportunity to work with stability, there the environment is of 'pro-incumbency' instead of 'anti-incumbency'. The BJP always emerges victoriously with 'pro-incumbency' in elections," the Prime Minister said, citing the example of Uttar Pradesh where the party won in 2014, 2017 and 2019.

"The people of Uttar Pradesh have already thrown away the old theory of 'ek bar aao, ek bar jao' (come to power once and then go). The BJP has itself experienced that it was accepted in 2014, then the people saw our government's work and we again got elected in 2017, and similarly in 2019 as well. Now in 2022, they will again see our work and again accept us," he said.

The Prime Minister claimed that the party believes in collective leadership and pictures in the hoardings of the party's workers. "BJP believes in collective leadership. We are used to working collectively. It is not the picture of the Prime Minister, but it is the picture of the workers of the BJP who are called 'Narendra Modi'," the Prime Minister said.

"To stand with the other party workers fills me with pride. If I feature in a picture with BJP workers, I feel that I also look like them. I believe that I am the same as them. I am not ahead of anybody or above anyone," he added.

The Prime Minister also said that the party has seen victory and defeat both. "Whether we win or lose, for us, elections are an open university in which we get the opportunity for new recruitment and the chance to introspect. We consider it as a field of the election," the Prime Minister said.

In the first of the seven phases, polling will be held in 58 assembly constituencies spread over 11 districts on February 10 in UP. The districts which are going to poll in the first phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura and Agra. The final-phase polling will be on March 7 and the results will be declared on March 10.