New Delhi, Nov 26 (PTI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Sunday said that if the BJP had its way, the Ayodhya land dispute would have been settled long back.

In an exclusive interview to Aaj Tak, Shah said: "Had it been our way, the case would have been settled and the Ram temple been constructed in Ayodhya."

He claimed that the BJP has always been in favour of courts hearing the Ayodhya case on priority and accused the Congress of "repeatedly delaying" the case.

"Recently, Congress leader Kapil Sibal argued in the Supreme Court that the Ayodhya land dispute case should be heard after 2019 (Lok Sabha election)," he said.

He said that it is not possible that Sibal did this "without the approval" of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. "Is it possible that Kapil Sibal could have taken a politically sensitive case without Rahul Gandhi's nod?" he asked.

When asked about the timing of the ongoing agitations for the Ram mandir (as they come just ahead of key assembly elections), Shah said these are not strategic in nature.

Of late, various leaders of the RSS, VHP and the BJP have demanded that the Modi government should bring in an ordinance to facilitate construction of the Ram temple.

Speaking about this demand, Shah said the BJP will wait for the next hearing of the Ayodhya case on January 22. "We will see. The case will come up for hearing in January. Let the case be heard (in the Supreme Court)," he said.

"It is not in our hand. We can't fix the date. It is for the court to decide."

When asked about BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj's comment that some idols of (Hindu gods) will be found if Delhi's Jama Masjid is destroyed, Shah said the party "in no manner" subscribes to this view.

Only pro-incumbency, no anti-incumbency

The Modi government and the BJP face a major popularity test in the form of five assembly elections ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabbha election. The Congress and other opposition parties have upped the ante and accused the BJP of having failed to deliver on its promises.

Of the five states that are going to polls, the BJP has been in power for 15 years in two-Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh-and for 10 years in one Rajasthan.

Analysts have opined that the BJP may face a tough challenge due to the anti-incumbency factor in these states.

Responding to these views, Shah said anti-incumbency comes only when a majority of people are unhappy with the government, and not otherwise. "The BJP governments in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh face pro-incumbency, not anti-incumbency," he claimed.