Days after BJP general secretary Ram Madhav suggested that the party might not touch the majority mark, Muralidhar Rao, another general secretary and party strategist, in an exclusive interview to DNA said the party will win 282-300 seats in 2019 elections.

Elections to five phases are over, two more to go. How confident are you?

If there is one party which is highly confident in this election, it is none other than the BJP. In fact, it has got reasons to be confident – both politically and organisationally. The opposition has made this contest into Modi vs rest by not understanding that by making such a narrative they are simply amplifying the chances of PM Modi. Because "the rest" on every aspect is politically weak, they have no agenda for the nation and have internal contradictions.

But one of BJP's senior leaders suggested the BJP might not touch majority...

There are no takers in the BJP for that line. People running the campaign, people entrusted with different assignments for campaign in states...all have given feedbacks, and based on that we have reasons to be more and more confident. At the same when we observe the Opposition's desperation, we understand even they are aware of BJP's forward movement.

So will it be a BJP govt or an NDA govt?

It would be NDA, as we formed in 2014. But qualitatively, BJP will have own majority. Modi ji will be the PM.

So what would be the numbers like?

The BJP will win between 282 to 300 seats.

And the NDA tally...

Together with NDA allies, I am confident that we will win at least 330+ seats.

But some poll predictions suggest BJP may not be able to muster majority.

Surveys have never favoured the BJP. In fact, they have always understated the BJP's prospects. These surveys are not able to capture the critical aspect of the elections. There is a new Modi wave this time. Because of Modi ji's good governance, people who never voted for BJP have become its supporters.

Some say it is not easy for BJP to repeat 2014 in UP. How will you fill the gap?

The SP-BSP alliance, arithmetically, will never be in a position to give a fight to BJP. When two parties with conflicting ambitions align, they don't have the social or political complementarities. So by creating an unnatural alliance, inadvertently they help BJP to expand its vote base.We are sanguine about UP. Apart from that, we will do extremely well in the East, North-East as our party's strength has increased manifold there. We will also do much better in the South.

BJP started campaign on development and nationalism pitch. Is there a change in the narrative?

Development, nationalism, national security are the issues which are core to BJP. When we are in a dynamic mode of an election campaign, we need to respond to our adversaries. I don't think there is a change in the narrative.

Cong says BJP doesn't have answers to economy, employment, agri woes...

The country is not buying the misinformation campaign by Congress. In past five years, no protest movement happened on those allegations. If there was mobilisation, it was in support of PM Modi.

Cong says economy has entered disastrous phase...

We're watched by various global agencies as well. Tell me which global agency has spoken against Indian economy under Modi government.