TEHRAN - Dismissing the attempts of opposition parties to corner him ahead of general election next year, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he would be re-elected with an even bigger majority in parliament in 2019.

In an interview with the Times of India newspaper, Modi said his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government is committed to improving the lives of all citizens regardless of faith and deliver on promises of swift economic development.

Civil society and human rights activists in India have expressed fears that the minority Muslim community was under threat from the right-wing fringe groups that are covertly supported by the ruling party. There have been many cases of hate crimes and mob lynching since the Modi-led BJP government assumed power in 2014.

“We will definitely get more seats than we got the last time and I am confident that we will break all records of the seats won by NDA (National Democratic Alliance) in the past and achieve greater glory,” Modi said. “The people are with us and we have nothing to fear.”

According to opinion polls, Modi remains the front runner to win another term, but the opposition, led by the Congress party, is trying to pull together a grand alliance of regional parties to mount a strong campaign against him.