India's auto industry will be number 1 in the world in next 5 years: Union Minister Gadkari

New Delhi, March 18: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Sunday expressed confidence that the BJP-led NDA will get more seats than before in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

He claimed that the BJP's performance in the general elections would be on the basis of the works of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, which, according to the Union Minister, are being appreciated by the people.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV Editor-in-Chief, Sanjay Pugalia, the Union Minister said that India's auto industry will be number one in the world in the next five years.

"Currently, the size of the Indian automobile industry is Rs 12.5 lakh crore. The industry has so far created 4.5 crore jobs, and it pays maximum GST to the Centre and state governments," Nitin Gadkari said.

"When I became minister, India's auto industry was at 7th place in the world. I encouraged the companies with new technologies. Now the auto industry of India has become number 3, surpassing Japan," he said.

The Union Minister said that Maharashtra currently has the triple-engine government.

"We will perform better in the Lok Sabha elections on the basis of our work," he said.

On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Maharashtra, the Union Minister said that he has every right to take his own party forward.

He targeted the opposition bloc, saying that Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray would not get sympathy votes.

Nitin Gadkari also said that he has good relations with all parties.

"There can be differences of opinion in politics, but there should not be personal differences," he remarked.

"The NDA will get more seats than before in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections," the Union Minister asserted.

Nitin Gadkari said that the government has constructed roads worth Rs 5 lakh crore in Maharashtra. So, people are taking note of our work, he added.

The Union Minister further said that scrapping the electoral bonds scheme would open the doors to black money.

He underlined the need for all the parties to develop a better system.

There is no denying the fact that money is required to contest elections and every single party needs that, the Union Minister said during the interview.

"In fact, the basic idea behind this scheme was that the parties would get money through bonds, and it would help push the economy if you want to make it number one," Nitin Gadkari said, questioning: "What was wrong with that?"

He declined to comment on the Supreme Court's verdict related to the issue of electoral bonds.

The Union Minister, however, explained another drawback in case the electoral bond scheme is banned.

If electoral bonds are banned, money would still continue to come in, only in the form of black money, he said.

"If you do not allow (electoral) bonds, people will take money through some other unfair means. This will happen anyway," he said.