Forty-eight year old Nalin Satyakam Kohli is among the BJP’s Gen-x leaders ~ vocal, erudite and outspoken ~ who have been able to make a mark in party echelons. An advocate by profession, he is an expert in GST and environmental laws. He is additional advocate general for Assam and Rajasthan in the Supreme Court. Kohli, who is party spokesman and in-charge of Meghalaya, told Dipankar Chakraborty in an interview that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership the BJP is set to win the ensuing assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Meghalaya next year. Excerpts:

How significant are the Himachal and Gujarat Assembly elections results for the BJP?

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We do believe both Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat are two very promising elections for the BJP. In Gujarat we have been in government for a very long time. The Prime Minister is from Gujarat. It was his stint as Gujarat chief minister that gave the people of the country an opportunity to appreciate him. In Himachal Pradesh there is an anti-incumbency factor and corruption charges that are weighing against the government. So we believe both the elections will be good for the BJP.

How is the role of the Patidars in Gujarat likely to impact the coming elections in the state?

In every election such issues (Patidar movement) crop up. There are issues that the Opposition forces on us.

How do you view the Congress aligning with Patidar leaders in Gujarat against the ruling BJP?

Any party is free to align with anyone in a democracy. The BJP’s agenda is very clear. Prime Minister Modi has always worked on the concept of development and implementing it with the motto of: ‘Sab ka sath, sab ka vikas’. Gujarat has seen a lot of development. We want to take it (development) to a new league now.

Can Patidars be game changers in the Gujarat polls?

I will not speak of any individual. It is a matter of assessment. The people of Gujarat have consistently voted for the BJP. They have seen in the BJP government good administration, development and a commitment to make Gujarat a model state.

There has been a flurry of announcements about new projects in Gujarat ahead of the polls that have come under fire from the Opposition parties.

The Congress-led UPA government suffered from policy paralysis resulting in lack of work. India voted comprehensively against that model in 2014. There has been a flurry of activities from the day Modiji became Prime Minister. Take the case of black money: within a week of coming to power, the SIT was formed. Then there was a scheme for those who wanted to come clean followed by demonetisation. What the Congress could not do in 40 years, Modiji has made it all happen in just three-and-a-half years.

Do you see re-opening of the Bofors case as also a case of the government trying to be proactive in the sphere of governance?

There have been impediments in the Bofors case investigations for long. There have been attempts some way or the other to prevent the probe. If society or the media unearths anything then a debate is bound to take place. Whether it is the Agusta Westland or any other case we have found that bribe givers have been punished. Who are the bribe takers? The Congress never investigated it. See what comes out of it when the papers related to the case come to India.

Do you think the Bofors probe should be taken to its logical conclusion?

Whether the case has to be revived has to be seen on legal principles. It is not a political case for the BJP. If there is legal ground I am sure it will be done.

The Opposition is charging you with a witch-hunt.

The Opposition can say anything they want. The Opposition has been shifting stands. The Opposition and the Congress have no answers. Why did not they show the same will as Modiji has shown to go after black money and the corrupt?

The BJP recently suffered defeats in the Bawana byelection in Delhi and Gurdaspur in Punjab. How do you see these two developments ahead of the coming polls?

The Opposition may try their best to project these defeats as a sign of an imminent fall of the BJP. We have registered impressive victories in Maharashtra local body elections. We have done well in Manipur. You can’t win all or lose all elections. The BJP under Prime Minister Modi and party president Amit Shah has been winning a large number of elections.

You have of late come under attack from Opposition over alleged poor showing on the job creation front and adverse impact of GST and demonetisation on the economy.

India has been doing well in all parameters under Prime Minister Modi as compared to the Congress-led UPA government. In some cases this government has done more than what has been done since 1992.  About jobs creation, nobody is talking about Standup and Startup India. Under Mudra so far 8 crore people, mostly women, have taken loans for self-employment. People have been voting for the BJP time and again. This shows there is disconnect between what the Opposition is saying and what BJP is showing at the ground level.

Is 7.5 and 8 per cent GDP growth achievable in the remaining part of the Modi government’s tenure?

Why not! … I can’t say when. That data will be coming out soon. The economy is doing pretty well. There have been small phases of dips.

Is the BJP a bit nervous ahead of the coming elections?

I don’t think the party is nervous. We have won some elections with historic mandate. If we do not take huge decisions then who will, Amit Shahji had said after demonetisation. He said we would go to the people with these and let them decide.

How is the party bracing for next year’s assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland?

We expect that the BJP will perform well in elections in the three states in 2018. In Tripura according to reports coming in, it is going to be a straight fight between the ruling Left and the BJP. In Meghalaya I think we will do very well. We see defection of some party leaders into the BJP recently in Meghalaya as their endorsement of the party policies and a positive sign.