After a failed attempt to topple the Harish Rawat government in Uttarakhand and bringing the State under President’s Rule, the BJP on Saturday kick-started the campaign for the 2017 Uttarakhand Assembly elections with party president Amit Shah urging the electorate people to vote the BJP to power if they wished to “enjoy the benefits” of the BJP rule at the Centre.
“Now the time has come. Upar bhi BJP hai . Agar Uttarakhand ki janata neeche bhi kamal laati hai toh vikas he vikas Uttarakhand ke liye hai [the BJP is at the Centre, and if the people of Uttarakhand vote the lotus to power here too, the State’s progress will be guaranteed],” Mr. Shah said, addressing a rally in Haridwar to mark the start of the election campiagn.
Taking a dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who recently asked what the Narendra Modi government had done in past two years, Mr. Shah said: “Rahul Baba, don’t ask us what we did in two years, ask your Uttarakhand Chief Minister [Harish Rawat] that question.”
Allegations of scamsMr. Shah alleged that in the past two years, the Rawat government had indulged in liquor scam, and land scam.
After facing a debacle in the recent floor test in the State Assembly where Mr Rawat was voted back to power by the majority, the BJP had alleged that Mr. Rawat had indulged in horse-trading to gain majority support.
The BJP president alleged that in the floor test, Mr. Rawat received 33 votes against the BJP, which got 28, and, all those who voted for him were given various posts by the Chief Minister to return the favour.
“The money of the people and for the people [of Uttarakhand] is being spent on these ministers,” he said, adding that the Rawat government had “no moral right” to continue in power.
“Recently a sting was done on him [Harish Rawat] where he said he would give Rs. 5 crore to each MLA. The money is of the people of Uttarakhand. The people who took Rs. 5 crore are sitting there [in the Rawat government] and those who didn’t are sitting here,” he said, pointing to the BJP leaders from Uttarakhand present at the rally.
Assures progress“Throw away the corrupt government in the 2017 elections. It cannot lead Uttarakhand on the path of progress,” Mr. Shah said, adding that given a chance, the BJP under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership would ensure the progress of the Hill State.
Stressing that the BJP must be brought to power in the 2017 elections, Mr. Shah reminded the people of the State that Mr. Modi had “done a lot” for the people of Uttarakhand, the list of which, he said, was unending.
“All the money allotted by the Central government for Uttarakhand would be of use to the people of the State only if the BJP comes to power here,” Mr. Shah, who had visited the shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath before addressing the rally in Haridwar, said.
