'Only Modi as prime minister can solve the problems'

There is a lot of hype surrounding Gurat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Hyderabad on Sunday. The Andhra Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party is hoping to capitalise on this visit and hopes to improve its standing in the state.

The question however is will Modi be able to make an impact in a state that is dominated by the Congress, the Telugu Desam Party, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the YSR Congress?

Kishen Reddy, chief of the Andhra Pradesh unit of the BJP says that there is a lot that the party will gain from Modi’s visit. In this interview with rediff.com’s Vicky Nanjappa, Reddy says that the people do not look at Modi as a BJP leader, but as the next prime minister.

Has the Telangana issue overshadowed the Modi visit?

No it has not. And contrary to rumours that the Seema-Andhra unit of the BJP will not attend the event, the party has put up a united front. Our fight is against the Congress at the Centre and only Modi as prime minister can solve the problems.

How popular is Modi in Andhra Pradesh? The BJP is not exactly very strong there.

We are building up the party and will do much better this time. Do not write us off. What Modi has done in Gujarat has impressed one and all in Andhra. His charisma has caught not just the urban parts of the state, but even the rural areas. We have spoken to a cross section of the people. Trust me when I say this, but even the relatives of some Congress leaders have told us that they would vote for Modi as PM.

Does the follower base for Modi in AP comprise the youth alone?

I would not deny that he has a bigger follower base comprising the youth. He is popular among all age groups. He is not just a youth icon.

Why has Modi commenced his campaign at a weak southern state for the BJP? Karnataka appeared to be more suited.

Every one needs to make a start and Modiji will help us do just that. Andhra is a very crucial state for any major political party hoping to have a majority in Parliament. What the Modi visit would do, is marginalise the regional parties a great deal

At least 60 to 70 out of every 100 will vote for him as prime minister, and in the bargain the BJP automatically becomes strong.

What happened in the meeting when Modi met industrialists?

I cannot go into the details of that. But remember that the 2014 election is all about development. Every industrialist in the country would want Modi as the PM after what he did in Gujarat. No industrialist is unhappy with Modi.

Image: Kishen Reddy with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi

Photograph: SnapsIndia