Days after releasing a separate manifesto, a Sankalp Patr, for the municipal polls, a first for any party in the state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday kicked-off his poll campaign. His first stop was politically and symbolically significant, Ayodhya, which was elevated to the status of a municipal corporation after the BJP came to power in March.
The Bharatiya Janata Party is going all out to campaign for the urban body polls in Uttar Pradesh in a bid to replicate the thumping win it registered in the Assembly elections eight months ago.
Mr. Adityanath is expected to address more than three dozen rallies for the municipal polls, in a style similar to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign strategy.
Addressing a rally in Ayodhya, Mr. Adityanath accused the previous Samajwadi Party government of neglecting it and of trying to restrict and tarnish the “pehchaan” (identity) and grandeur of the town in the eyes of the world. Those who “discriminated with your identity”, can never be forgiven, he told voters in Ayodhya.
Mocking the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, Mr. Adityanath said the two parties were struck by “electric current” each time he visited Ayodhya.
“Ayodhya is a symbol of faith for us. Ayodhya is the land of maryada purshottam Shri Ram...Ayodhya should get back its glory,” the Chief Minister said. Traditionally strong in urban areas, the BJP secured 10 of the 12 mayor posts in 2012.
This time mayoral elections will be held for 16 posts, with the inclusion of four new seats including Mathura (Vrindavan) and Ayodhya, names emphasized by Mr. Adityanath in his speech.
While mentioning that his government had already inaugurated development projects worth ₹ 137 crore in Ayodhya, Mr. Adityanath promised more schemes after the polls. He claimed credit for restoring grand Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya and said that his government’s priority was to make the town “shine” and bring a smile to the face of every person who visited it. “Ayodhya gave Diwali to the world but Diwali disappeared from Ayodhya. We restored it,” he said.
While appealing for votes for the BJP candidates, Mr. Adityanath followed up on the promise made by his party in the manifesto and said that a gaushala would be built in all major cities cater to stray cattle.
After Ayodhya, Mr. Adityanath is expected to hold campaign rallies in all major centres of UP, including Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Muzaffarnagar, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Lucknow and Mathura, with more than two rallies per day on average.
Polls would be held for over 650 posts, including 16 Mayors and 200 Nagar Palika Parishads, starting November 22 in three phases. Results will be declared on December 1.
