Amidst the whirlwind of political activity that surrounds the general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the time to speak exclusively to Sudhir Chaudhary, editor-in-chief of Zee News.

The interview began on a light note, with the Zee News and WION editor-in-chief remarking that as the opposition was dreaming of the incumbent Prime Minister packing up his things in readiness to leave. "We were wondering if we'd see some boxes here...," said Chaudhary, to which the 'Nation's Chowkidar' replied that he is ready for all eventualities, adding "But let the opposition keep on dreaming, their dreams will be broken on May 23".

He expressed confidence that the NDA will win more than 272 seats in the Lok Sabha and form the government at the Centre. "'Aayega to Modi hi' is not a joke, but a reality," he emphasised.

When the conversation turned to the controversy surrounding EVMs and allegations of them malfunctioning, the former Gujarat chief minister said it was a sign of some parties preparing for impending defeat. "Players protest when they know they are losing the match," he retorted.

"Is the same benchmark used for evaluating Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and other political leaders?" asked Chaudhary. "I have never broken traffic rules or even parked on the wrong side of the road. The first FIR against me was lodged in 2014, when I had gone to vote," he said, dismissing any commonality between him and the other contenders for democracy's top post. He recalled that the Election Commission was quick to take action over the allegation and roadshows in Varanasi, from where he contested then too, were cancelled. "However, I never complained."

Coming to the recent controversy surrounding remarks made about former PM Rajiv Gandhi, he said that just because someone has passed away, doesn't mean their legacy will not be questioned. He clarified that he only raised issues that rocked his government such as the Bofors case, the Bhopal gas tragedy.