Part I: 'The UPA are a bunch of heartless characters immune to the sufferings of the people.'

In the concluding segment of the interview, Jaitley, the BJP's master strategist, reveals how his party wants to be more inclusive for the minorities and outlines why it will form the government after the general election.

Any fair judge of the political situation will tell you that in the last five years, the BJP has not expanded its base. Also, the important issue of inclusive politics is not happening in the BJP. Muslims distrust the party. How can you be called a national party?

Admittedly, our support base among the Muslim community is less. But, at same time, our support base in the last five years has not reduced, it has grown. We have won most of the significant assembly elections in the last five years. We have won by also defeating anti-incumbency.

Is winning everything? You don't have any base or trust among India's biggest minority.

I said our support base is less therefore we owe it to them to show that we are not anti-Muslim. We like to see Muslims grow economically and socially in this country but we don't use them as vote banks as our rivals are doing. There is no strong anti-BJP feeling among Muslims this time in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

There is no contentious issue that is whipping up the political domain. I don't think there is any lack of initiative on our part to reach out. Our plank that we must treat Muslims as equals and give them the same opportunity in matters of economic growth doesn't seem to have impressed many at the moment. I have no doubt that in the long term it will be effective. We avoid linking Muslims to only vote bank politics.

Believe me, there is a significant maturing of the electorate in the last 62 years. Our core voters are part of the matured process. The BJP's matured voter is anti-terrorism, he wants economic growth of India, sovereignty of India is very important to him and he doesn't want a disturbed India.

Social and economic growth of the minority, expansion of education to all classes, improving rural areas, and improving urban slums is a part of this process.

Because of this it doesn't suit the BJP to be politically anti-minority and not seek minority votes. What BJP voters do not like is that you make Muslims merely a vote bank and don't do anything else for the community.

Image: Muslims vote in Hyderabad during the first phase on April 16. Inset: BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley. Main Photograph: SnapsIndia

Also see: By default, BJP gains ground | India Votes

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