No need for a post poll tie up, NDA will get majority at Centre: Pradhan

Dharmendra Pradhan, a key member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, speaks to Business Standard on party's prospects and agenda in the Lok Sabha election and assembly polls in Odisha

Union minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan, a key member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, speaks to Dillip Satapathy on party’s prospects and agenda in the Lok Sabha election and assembly polls in Odisha. Edited excerpts:

What are the prospects of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections and also assembly polls in Odisha?

The BJP will form the government at the Centre with National Democratic Alliance (NDA) getting more seats than the last time. In Odisha too, we will form the government by winning majority of the Lok Sabha seats on offer in the state.

Any projection of seats?

I can say that Odisha is heading for a big change. There are two major factors. Nineteen years of non-performance, corruption, lethargy, insensitive governance of Naveen Patnaik has led to an anti-incumbent mood against his party. On the other side, the welfare politics of PM Modi, be it Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-G), Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, SAUBHAGYA Scheme or Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, toilets for poor households, more investment in infrastructure like rail, road and air services, more funds for state’s development, have created a special space for Modi in the hearts of the people. There is a positive vibe in favour of Modi. This happens rarely. BJP Odisha unit has two advantages. Being an Opposition party, it will get the benefit of anti-incumbency against the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government and also get benefit of its own good image. These are the reasons for expansion and growth of BJP that will yield unexpected political outcome.

Will you ally with the BJD to form government at the Centre or extend similar support to them for government formation in the state? 

There is no question of such an alliance. We will form the government on our own at the Centre and also get a majority to form the government in the state.

Do you expect the same kind of success in Odisha as you got in the panchayat elections two years back?

It will be more than that. Then they were saved. But this time they will be routed.

There was an eight per cent vote difference in panchayat elections…

We will overcome that

Where in Odisha will you do better?

All of Odisha. In each and every village they (BJD) are facing problems. They do not have an answer. You see the campaigning by Patnaik. He is a four-time chief minister and seeking mandate for the fifth time. On what issue is he seeking votes? Has he mentioned any? “I am going to do this or do that”, Nothing. He is only accusing PM Modi of neglecting Odisha. His own statistics say something else. In 2014 during UPA II, Odisha got 490,000 houses. When Modi took charge, he enhanced the amount under PMAY-G from Rs 75,000 per unit to Rs 1.5 lakh per unit. In the last five years, quoting government of Odisha website, the government of India has already given 800,000 houses to the rural poor and 200,000 more are in the pipeline. That means 1 million houses in last five years. In Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, the average spending per annum has gone up from Rs 1,100 crore during 2009-2014 to Rs 2,500 crore now. Similarly, in railway budget, we got less than Rs 5,000 crore between 2009 and 2014. In last five years, we have got Rs 27,000 crore. Still he (Naveen) is accusing Modi of neglecting the state. Are these the neglecting factors? What is his (Naveen’s) plan for the state? How is he going to improve the employment in the state? How is he going to eradicate poverty in a time bound manner? 

But still Patnaik is a popular face…

People are revolting against the BJD government in Odisha. There is a serious breakdown of law and order situation. Women are not safe. Earlier, people thought there was no alternative to him. Today, Modi’s development model is the alternative. People are looking at the BJP. They are believing in him and we have huge organisational base today in Odisha. We have shown our strength in the panchayat election and we will show it again by winning majority of seats in this election.

But BJP has expanded its base in the state by taking people from other parties….

That is not the factor. From day one, our party President Amit Shah was focused. Today he has established himself as a successful political strategist in the country. To expand our base, we adopted three-four methods. One was to take influential people from other political parties, from different walks of life. That we did in Odisha. 

What are the other methods?

Strengthen the grassroots organisation, more membership, more agitation activities, more well-knit organisational mechanism in the grassroots. 

BJP has emerged as an alternative platform. What about an alternative face to Naveen Patnaik?

Is it necessary to have an alternative personality? People will vote for an alternate platform. It is a democracy. There is no feudalism in Odisha politics. The BJP is fighting election here in the name of PM Modi. There is a talented bunch of leaders in the state. If we get the majority, the party will choose a face to lead the government. It is not necessary. Who was the CM face of BJP in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh?

What is the economic agenda of the BJP?

Why do people in Odisha believe in PM Modi? Because they have faith, they have hope. Modi’s development model will bring more economic empowerment. More employment and self-employment opportunity will be created. Odisha has enough potential for that. It is a mineral rich state, full of water resource, full of fertile land, people are hard working. There is a long coastline. There is so much natural beauty. Heritage points such as Puri is here. Important temples are in Odisha, forestry is also available. Take three pockets, Simlipal, Kandhamal, and Koraput. If people are going to Africa for jungle safari, my understanding is that Simlipal or Kandhamal is no less than that. 

It is an issue of branding, showcasing, creating facility and building infrastructure. Tourism alone can develop the state. So with all these things, agriculture, tourism, and industrial development, the state can grow. For any goods manufactured in the country, Odisha can be the point of export to Southeast Asia. We have abundant coal, so you can supply cheap electricity. You have the best quality of iron ore and bauxite that means steel and aluminium. You have an oil refinery. So you get petrochemical raw material. Starting from food processing industry to industrial goods, the BJP has promised to create global manufacturing hubs for Southeast Asia in Odisha. If my people are going to different parts of the world for plumbing, why can’t they create plumbing goods manufacturing industry here? Due to coastal state identity, Odisha will be cheaper than having manufacturing hubs in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh. 

Why didn’t you contest the elections this time?

I am a small worker of the party. My party has given me an opportunity to serve in a different capacity. I am happy with my job in the PM’s cabinet. I have done it to the best of my ability. I can’t decide my future. The party will decide. I never thought I would contest for MLA or from any parliamentary constituency. I have gone to Rajya Sabha twice from two different states. My party always takes the decision.

How do you see PM Modi’s role in the NDA III government at the Centre?

If the prime minister returns for the second time, you will see a new world order after June. In NDA III, and during the tenure of Modi’s second term, the world power centre will shift. India will be a major super power. I have seen PM Modi’s personal equation with all important world leaders. The growth we have seen in the last five years will be tenfold in the next five years. 

Where do you see India’s position in the global energy field?  

We are influencing the world energy scenario already by being the consumers. He (Modi) has leveraged the consuming power of the country to create the new world order. Many countries are heavily acknowledging that. Modi has created a new diplomatic economic model. If China has to have good relations with India in trade and commerce, they have to give us space in export of non-basmati rice to China. States like Odisha are likely to benefit from this.