Prime Minister Modi was asked if he saw potential in a young politician. His response

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he is ready to abandon old ideas and embrace new ones provided they fit with his core ideology of 'nation first'.

Appearing for the first time in a podcast hosted by Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha and released on Friday, Prime Minister Modi said he sees his success in the way he prepares a team that can handle things skillfully, saying there are many young politicians with potential. He declined to name any, saying it would be an injustice to many others.

Prime Minister Modi said the mantra of his life was that he might make mistakes but he would not do anything wrong out of bad intentions.

He said, “When I became the chief minister (of Gujarat), I said that I would spare no effort to work hard. I won't do anything for myself. And, thirdly, I am human and I can make mistakes. But I won't do it. everything bad due to bad intentions. I made it a mantra of my life. I must have made mistakes, I'm also a human, not a god.

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When Mr. Kamath asked him if he had planned for the time beyond him, training those he trusts, not for today but in 20-30 years, Prime Minister Modi said: “I can see people with a lot of potential. When I was in Gujarat, I would say I want to go there after preparing (the team) for the next 20 years. My success lies in how I prepare my team who will be able to handle things with skill. me.”

He said politics needs the continued entry of good people who put mission ahead of ambition, and summarized his ideology as “nation first”.

Asked if he saw such potential in a young politician, Prime Minister Modi said there were many.

“They work hard, they work with a mission. If I say one name it will be an injustice to many others. There are many names and faces in front of me. I know the details of many people but it is my responsibility to know them and not do injustice to others,” he added.

In the more than two-hour podcast, he summarized his ideology as “nation first.”

Prime Minister Modi said: “If I have to abandon old ideas, I am ready to abandon them. I am ready to accept new things. But the reference should be “nation first”. I only have one scale and I don't change it. he.”

A pleasant conversation with @nikhilkamathciocovering a variety of topics. Look… https://t.co/5Q2RltbnRW

Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 10, 2025

Noting that one-third of the seats of MPs and Lok Sabha members will be reserved for women in the near future, he said women are already present in local bodies due to 50 per cent reservation for them in many States and asked them to work to become as capable as possible of preparing for Assemblies and Parliament.

The prime minister has described himself as not a typical politician and his time is mainly spent on governance.

“I have to make political speeches during elections. It's my constraint. I don't like it but I have to do it. All my time is devoted to governance outside elections. And when I was not in power, my time was entirely devoted to governance focused on the organization…,” he said.

Asserting that he never confined himself to a comfort zone, Prime Minister Modi said his ability to take risks was hardly used.

“My ability to take risks is several times greater,” he said, adding that it was because he never worried about himself.

In his third term, Prime Minister Modi said he felt more emboldened and his dreams had broadened. During the first two terms, he judged his work by the progress he had made since his beginnings.

“Now my thoughts are in the context of Viksit Bharat by 2047,” he added.

Prime Minister Modi said his idea of ​​a “minimum and maximum government” had been misinterpreted by some people who thought it meant fewer ministers or government employees. It was never his idea, he said, pointing out that he had created separate ministries, including for skills development and fisheries.

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It's about reducing lengthy official procedures, he explained, citing the end of more than 40,000 compliances and the repeal of more than 1,500 laws as steps in that direction.

In the podcast which touched on different phases of his life, PM Modi described himself as an ordinary student who just studied to pass the exam but participated in different activities and was always curious.

“My struggles were the university that taught me,” he said, pointing out that his father did not allow him to apply for admission to a Sainik school due to lack of money. However, he was never disappointed, he added.

Recognized for his speech, PM Modi stressed that communication is more important than oratory skills and cited the example of Mahatma Gandhi saying that he lived a life that “spoke” for him and rallied the nation behind him during the freedom movement.

A thin man and poor orator, Mahatma Gandhi did not fit the profile of a typical politician expected in today's times, he said.

Politics, he said, is not just about running for office, and political life is not easy at all. “Some people are lucky. They don't have to do anything but they still get benefits. I don't want to get into the reasons,” he said, making a veiled reference to dynastic politicians.

To a question on the moment that gave him maximum happiness, PM Modi recalled the emotions he felt when he called his mother for the first time after BJP leaders, including him, successfully hoisted the national flag at Lal Chowk, an apparent reference to the party. Ekta Yatra' in 1992, led by its then president Murli Manohar Joshi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)