UK's Deputy PM Nick Clegg talks to NDTV's Rahul Joglekar
London:
He got down from a large yellow battle bus. With yellow balloons (yellow is the colour of his party), a cake and many supporters cheering, he made his thoughts clear. Nick Clegg is campaigning hard for his party - the Liberal Democrats and he was in Richmond, to show his support for a longtime colleague and senior member of his party - Vince Cable, the Business minister in the UK government.
It was his party that went into a coalition with the Tories (Conservative party) so that a government could be formed after the 2010 election results in the UK resulted in a hung parliament. This time too, most pundits predict that the UK elections will throw up a hung parliament. And that's why his party may again hold the keys to Number 10 Downing Street.
But there is a huge anti-incumbency factor against Mr Clegg and his party. Young students haven't forgiven Mr Clegg for this handling of the tuition fees issue. (He had promised not to raise tuition fees but ended up agreeing to raise them). Mr Clegg told NDTV, "I certainly think we will win more seats than the pundits and pessimists predict."
But when NDTV pressed him about a post-election coalition arrangement, he didn't rule out a coalition with both the big parties. "The Liberal Democrats won't be in a pact with the UKIP or Scottish National Party," he said ruling out an arrangement with the other smaller parties.
On diversity and representation of Asians in his party, he admitted, "If we want to represent modern Britain, modern Britain needs to be represented in us." In 2010, not a single Liberal Democrat MP election to the House of Commons was Asian.
NDTV had spoken exclusively to Mr Clegg before his trip to India last year. He met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. He said, "I was very impressed when I spoke to Prime Minister Modi about his own personal commitment to improve the environment for our children and our grandchildren. His personal interest and expertise in that was something that impressed me enormously. I encouraged him (PM Modi), when I met him, to give India a leadership role in the talks that are taking place in Paris towards the end of the year to strike a new global Climate change deal, that is incredibly important for future generations."
After a short sharp message, he waved to the crowds (about 40-50 Liberal Democrat party supporters) and was back on the bus - to campaign for more votes. By Friday of this week, it will be clear if these efforts were of any use.
It was his party that went into a coalition with the Tories (Conservative party) so that a government could be formed after the 2010 election results in the UK resulted in a hung parliament. This time too, most pundits predict that the UK elections will throw up a hung parliament. And that's why his party may again hold the keys to Number 10 Downing Street.
But there is a huge anti-incumbency factor against Mr Clegg and his party. Young students haven't forgiven Mr Clegg for this handling of the tuition fees issue. (He had promised not to raise tuition fees but ended up agreeing to raise them). Mr Clegg told NDTV, "I certainly think we will win more seats than the pundits and pessimists predict."
But when NDTV pressed him about a post-election coalition arrangement, he didn't rule out a coalition with both the big parties. "The Liberal Democrats won't be in a pact with the UKIP or Scottish National Party," he said ruling out an arrangement with the other smaller parties.
On diversity and representation of Asians in his party, he admitted, "If we want to represent modern Britain, modern Britain needs to be represented in us." In 2010, not a single Liberal Democrat MP election to the House of Commons was Asian.
NDTV had spoken exclusively to Mr Clegg before his trip to India last year. He met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. He said, "I was very impressed when I spoke to Prime Minister Modi about his own personal commitment to improve the environment for our children and our grandchildren. His personal interest and expertise in that was something that impressed me enormously. I encouraged him (PM Modi), when I met him, to give India a leadership role in the talks that are taking place in Paris towards the end of the year to strike a new global Climate change deal, that is incredibly important for future generations."
After a short sharp message, he waved to the crowds (about 40-50 Liberal Democrat party supporters) and was back on the bus - to campaign for more votes. By Friday of this week, it will be clear if these efforts were of any use.
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