Nadda rejects opposition claims, says BJP will retain North in LS polls and will be ahead of Congress in South

New Delhi [India], May 18 : BJP president JP Nadda has hit out over "south mein saaf and north mein haaf'" jibe at the party by some opposition parties and asserted that the BJP will retain its Lok Sabha seats in north India while having a lead over Congress in the southern states.
In an interview with ANI, Nadda expressed confidence of the BJP winning the Odisha assembly polls and also forming a government in Andhra Pradesh with its allies. He said the BJP will sweep Lok Sabha polls in Odisha and will achieve a landslide victory with its allies in parliamentary polls in Andhra Pradesh.
The BJP is in alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) in Andhra Pradesh.
Nadda said the BJP will sweep the northern parts of the country in Lok Sabha polls as it did in the 2019 elections.
"We are keeping ourselves intact in the North and will retain (tally in) Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Jammu, Haryana, and Delhi," Nadda said.
"In Andhra Pradesh, we are going to form a government and in the parliamentary election, BJP and TDP are going to sweep. In Telangana, we are getting more than double (of the seats won last time), and in Tamil Nadu also we are getting a good start."
"We are also opening our account in Kerala and will maintain our seat share in Karnataka," Nadda.
The BJP had done very well in Karnataka in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and won 25 of 28 seats.
Asked if BJP will retain an equal number of seats, Nadda said they would get 25 and "plus, minus one seat might happen".
"That's why in the South as well, we will have a lead over Congress in the tally. And in East as well we will maintain our tally" Nadda said.
Leaders of Congress and some other opposition parties have taken "south mein saaf and north mein haaf' (wiped out in the south, half in the north)" jibes at BJP, claiming that the party will not perform well in the Lok Sabha polls.
Asked if Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is "allergic" to him and Home Minister Amit Shah, Nadda said she has sensed that Bengal is getting out of her hands.
"She is allergic to everyone, this time Mamataji has sensed that Bengal is getting out of her hands. We will win a good number of seats in Bengal. They (TMC) will be in a minority, we will have a majority," Nadda said.
"We will form government in Odisha and BJP will have a landslide victory in the parliamentary election," Nadda said in response to a question.
Asked about BJD leader VK Pandian's remarks that BJP does not have a CM face against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Nadda said the party did not have a CM face in states such as Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and emerged victorious in assembly polls.
"We did not have in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and in Chhattisgarh," he said, adding that the party did not take long to decide its CM candidates after victory in assembly polls.
On poll-related violence in West Bengal, Nadda said law and order is a state subject.
"We (the centre) can support them but Mamata Banerjee's intentions are not clear. Her intention is dubious."
He slammed the West Bengal CM over the Sandeshkhali violence and accused her of being silent.
"She was silent on the case of Sheikh Shahjahan, the High Court had to give the inquiry to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Women were shouting and you even didn't bother," he said.
Asked about the allegations of Mamata Banerjee that the Sandeshkhali incident was a conspiracy of the BJP, Nadda said, "Dishonest administrator, dishonest politician. If I'm the CM and a case like this comes to me, I'll say that I'll investigate into this. I'll go into the details of it. Why was she quiet at first and later she blamed the BJP."
"She compromised with the nation for a vote bank. TMC is providing shelter to infiltrators and giving them ID cards and ration cards, making them voters, this is anti-national activitiy They also give protection to such people," Nadda added.
BJP President further accused Mamata Banerjee of "spreading misinformation" regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act.
"She is spreading misinformation about CAA. She's doing anti-national things. CAA will not be given to someone who is coming from outside. Doesn't Mamata understand this, is she so illiterate? No. She understands everything. But she is trying to misguide the innocent people."