'Modi will win in Gujarat elections but won't be PM'

Tarak Mehta, the 'Amitabh Bachchan' of popular satirist writing in Gujarati, is an admirer of Gujarat Chief minister Narendra Modi. At 83, he continues to be a darling of people due to the highly successful Hindi television serial Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chasma which is based on his classic weekly writings of more than three decades. Two Gujarati generations has been raised reading his satire.

While talking to rediff.com, he expressed his regret over the lack of values and ideology in the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat. While talking about the Gujarat assembly election 2012, he said, "I don't expect anything dramatic, because politics is headed downwards. There is more chaos than order. More disorder because there is no ideology with anybody. All over India, not a single political party has any ideology, including ( Arvind) Kejriwal. The aam aadmi has no ideology! It's all chaos and they are certainly in the dark."

When asked about how will Modi perform in the Gujarat poll, Mehta said, "I appreciate him, I admire him. I respect him. This time he is disturbed with the opponents. Keshubapa (former chief minister Keshubhai Patel), is a diversion (of 2012 election). Keshubapa has never been an ideologist and never will be. He is more about nuisance value than about leadership."

When asked about his assessment of the final result on December 20, Tarak bhai said, "The final result in Gujarat will go in favour of the BJP because there is no other (better) image of the other political parties. The BJP will form the next government in Gujarat. The Congress has been unnecessarily hanging around. All along it has been an useless party in Gujarat!"

When asked if the Congress is more united now, Mehta, the avid reader of contemporary politics, said, "No. Not in Gujarat. Of course, outwardly they have showed it. But inwards, there was chaos during the distribution of tickets for this election."

When asked to comment on Modi's future, Mehta said, "I don't see him as a prime minister. Otherwise he is still in ascendance. Modi has no inward (within the BJP) support."

He said people will vote for Modi. "His popularity (will get votes). He has maintained it."

But Mehta added, "This time the Gujarati media is anti-Modi, especially the newspapers."

Reportage Sheela Bhatt | Video: Reuben N V in Surat