New Delhi: With the last phase of polling for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 just around the corner, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal while speaking in an exclusive with Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on the ‘Nation Wants to Know’ Saturday stressed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's work over the last 10 years and the vision with which he has reached out to the people, seeking their blessings for the next term to take India to greater heights as a developed nation truly has earned him the “adulation, affection and admiration not only of everybody in Mumbai but from from people across the world”.

Underlining that it is PM Modi who has earned accolades across the world including the highest civilian honors in 17-18 countries so far, Goyal said, “PM Modi is looked upon across the world as the man who will solve not only India's problems but the world's problems”.

The Ukrainian foreign minister had appealed to him [PM Modi] saying you're the only person who can help us resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the BJP leader stressed.

Speaking on the impact that the 10 years of his government has had on the India story, Goyal highlighted some key areas that witnessed significant reform under Modi rule, including welfare of the poor, respect and dignity of women, better employment opportunities for the youth and improved lifestyle that the farmers in the country “are now able to enjoy”. 

India of today – as an emerging superpower –  stands at global stage with a self confidence never seen before, Goyal told Arnab, while adding, “This Lok Sabha election is to make Bharat self sufficient and a developed nation”.

Responding to a question on the race to North Mumbai Lok Sabha seat, the union minister who also holds the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution portfolios, said, "The people of the constituency will decide whether it is a walkover or the contest". 

“I see a Modi wave on the ground; social media is trying to get eyeballs by making it a contest…Serious efforts have been made to create narratives that there is a fight”, he said.

Furthermore, Goyal exuded confidence that all six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai will be “a cakewalk for the NDA”, saying these seats are “clearly favouring” PM Modi.

“Yesterday's rally of PM Modi was unbelievably large. I have not seen something like that in Mumbai since childhood”, he highlighted.

Asserting that his association with the Modi-led party and subsequent poll campaigns have been the “best experience” of his life, Goyal told Arnab, “I'm so grateful to PM Modi for deeming me capable of representing the North Mumbai constituency in Parliament as a Lok Sabha MP”.

“Going to the people's court to get their blessings and serving the nation…serving the people of North Mumbai" has been a fulfilling experience for the BJP leader.

"As a Mumbaikar and as a person born and brought up here, I've worked in Mumbai all my life…it's like a dream come true that I'm representing my home constituency”, visibly-beaming Goyal told Arnab.

Facing the challenge of overcoming the “outsider” tag labelled by the opposition, Piyush Goyal is pitted in a straight fight with Congress’s Bhushan Patil for the May 20 election.

The Rajya Sabha MP, who started his career as a chartered accountant, is the son of former BJP minister Vedprakash Goyal and Chandrakanta Goyal, three-term BJP MLA from Matunga.

Born in Mumbai, Goyal studied in HR College and Government Law College, and started his Chartered Accountancy practice in Lalbaug and worked as an investment banker on Nepean Sea Road, the minister told a news agency during a video interview earlier this month.

Historically, the Mumbai North seat has been a BJP bastion with former union minister Ram Naik winning five straight elections from 1989 till 2004.

In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, actor Govinda, who was the Congress candidate, had defeated Naik.

In 2009, Sanjay Nirupam was elected as a Congress candidate. 

In the next two elections, in 2014 and 2019, Gopal Shetty was elected. He hasn’t been fielded this time, and instead the BJP chose Goyal.