How many seats do you expect to win?

The BJP with its allies won 60 seats in last year's Lok Sabha polls. I can only say that the tally will go up. The number will become clearer as polls draw close.

What makes you so confident about poll results especially when electoral alliances are yet to be struck?

No party in UP is as strong as the BJP. The Congress has been rendered irrelevant due to its own follies, the BSP's tally is bound to go down from its present strength of four MPs and the Samajwadi Party, having lost a substantial vote bank due to its stand on Vajpayee's confidence vote, too is likely to be reduced to a single-digit party.

But aren't you counting only on negativefactors?

There is a surge of sympathy for the BJP after being defeated in the Lok Sabha by one vote. At the same time, people are angry with the Opposition for destabilising a smoothly-run government. People realise that one vote of an MP will cost the country Rs 1,200 crore. People in UP may be illiterate but they are not ignorant. They will take the right decision at the right time -- in the BJP's favour.

Can the BJP strike an alliance in UP?

The BJP is running a coalition Government in UP with the Loktantrik Congress, Jantantrik BSP and the Samata Party. We will like to go to polls in alliance with these parties. There is no scope for an alliance with any other party.

Has there been any squabbling among the BJP and its partners, especially on power-sharing?

No. They have all been very cooperative in delivering good governance.

What do you think will be the impact of Sonia Gandhi leading the party in UP, especially if she contests from Amethi?

There is no need toattach undue importance to her. She campaigned for the Congress in the last elections as well but her party could not win a single seat in UP. We already have a formidable candidate in Sanjay Singh to contest against her from Amethi. She will lose her deposit.

Can there be a tacit understanding between the Samajwadi Party and the BJP in UP?

The SP and BJP are two opposite poles. We want to construct a Ram Temple in Ayodhya and SP wants reconstruction of Babri Masjid at the same spot. Can there be a meeting ground? There can be no relations between the SP and BJP. Neither overt nor covert.

How do you sound so optimistic with dissension within your own party?

Some people may be unhappy but that does not affect my party or my Government or even me. You will see them all coming around with the announcement of election schedule. There is no factionalism in my party.

But a public demonstration of anger against you by dissidents does not augur well for your party?

True. Public too isnot happy with such activities and it will teach such elements a lesson when time comes.

Don't you seem to be living on borrowed time with the BJP Central leadership giving you a fresh lease every two to three months?

Their assurance that the Chief Minister will not be changed, even once, should have been enough to silence my critics. But now the same assurance has been given four times. This should really shut up everybody.

Can there be a BSP-BJP tie-up?

We supported a BSP-led Government in UP twice. But they betrayed us after supporting only for one month. The BSP is a highly unreliable party. Their speech and actions do not match each other. Everyone saw BSP leaders saying something else in the Parliament at night and doing exactly the opposite during the confidence vote. They also forgot that BJP leaders had saved the life of their leader Mayawati in Lucknow on June 2, 1995. Were they trying to avenge that? Even after all this if somebody wants to trust the BSP, he will fall in atrap of deceit and treachery.

You were the chief organiser of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. How does it feel when the Ram Temple issue has been dropped from the BJP's agenda?

It is a political era of coalition governments. The fundamental principle now is to keep your own agenda in abeyance and take up only issues of mutual agreements. Points of agreement have to be searched and points of disagreement have to be eclipsed. So we have no qualms in eclipsing the Hindutva agenda for the time being.

Will the strident Hindutva supporters within the BJP be able to reconcile to your compromising attitude?

Our supporters will first see whether to elect a swadeshi Prime Minister in Atal Behari Vajpayee or a videshi Prime Minister in Sonia Gandhi. Our supporters are always for Swadeshi.