Does politics require huge money? PM Modi replies on Nikhil Kamath's podcast

Does politics require huge money? PM Modi replies on Nikhil Kamath's podcast

Does politics require huge money? PM Modi replies on Nikhil Kamath's podcast ByHT News Desk Jan 10, 2025 03:18 PM IST Share Via Copy Link Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for people to rise above the political mindset of merely electing representatives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke at length on various issues in his debut podcast with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath.

During the two-hour-long conversation, he was asked whether money was an indispensable part in politics.

“If the youth of the country wants to join politics, they say it requires a lot of money which we don't have. In the startup industry, when we have an idea, we take money from our friends and family. This is called seed round. How will it happen in politics,” Kamath asked.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during his interaction with Zerodha's Nikhil Kamath.(Nikhil Kamath/Zerodha)

The prime minister narrated an anecdote from his childhood days. “I am reminded of an incident of my childhood. There was a doctor in my village. He was a good eye specialist. He took great care and was also a good orator. He was also fluent in Hindi Gujarati. He decided to contest election as an independent candidate. I was a part of ‘Baal Sena’ and would go around with flags.”

“He took a one-rupee donation from the people to contest election. At a public meeting, he gave the account of how much money he received. I think he spent only ₹250. He won by a very narrow margin,” PM Modi said.

“It is not true that society does not acknowledge truth. You should have patience and dedication. You should not have the attitude of a ‘contract’, meaning that you do something only for votes. With such an attitude you cannot succeed,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for rising above the political mindset of merely electing representatives.

“We need to come out of this politics limited to electing MPs or MLAs. If we are associated with any work related to the society, it creates a greater political impact. If anyone runs a small ashram and educates girls. Even if he/she does not contest elections, but the effort creates a political impact,” he said.

“It is needed to look at politics from a bigger canvas. In democracy, a voter is in a way a politician. A voter applies his/her mind while casting vote,” the prime minister added.