PM Modi interview: ‘People tired of family-first politics,’ PM claims saffron sweep in South India

Before the fourth phase of polling, Prime Minister held discussions with Hindustan Times'sR Sukumar, Shishir Gupta, and Sunetra Choudhury regarding the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) performance in non-BJP states and .

Speaking on what needs to be done to gain power in the Southern states, PM Modi said that we (BJP) do not subscribe to a mindset of conquest. “We are working with a feeling of service towards 140 crore Indians. For us, every part of India has to be served," he added.

Modi stressed that the BJP's connection with the people of South India, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala, is not new. “We’ve dedicated ourselves to serving the people there, regardless of whether we are in government or not. Our karyakartas have been working selflessly for decades, many even sacrificed their lives in the process," the PM said.

PM Modi explained that people are tired of the corruption, appeasement, and family-first politics of the INDI Alliance seen in various southern states.

He said, “In Andhra Pradesh, there is a breakdown of governance threatening the future of the youth in the state."

“In Telangana and Karnataka, too, a nexus of corruption has been established with Congress in the lead. In a matter of a few months, Congress has managed to hollow out the public treasury and bring the states closer to a state of bankruptcy," the PM said, adding, “Same is the case in Tamil Nadu, where there is corruption and dynastic politics."

It is to be further noted that PM Modi has undertaken approximately 20 trips this year to five southern states: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. Collectively, these states account for roughly a quarter of the 543 seats in the lower house of parliament.

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