The BJP which officially launched its campaign for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on Saturday from Saharanpur, promised the electorate on Sunday that it would turn the State into the richest province of the country, if voted to power.
Party president Amit Shah, flagging off the second leg of the “Parivartan Yatra” from Jhansi, which is part of Bundelkhand, said the BSP and the SP had ‘destroyed’ the State in the last 15 years.
“Mayawati had said the Samajwadi Party was not good and asked the voters to give another chance to her party but there was no development in the State even during the BSP rule. Because both the parties are two sides of the same coin and can never bring development to the State,” Mr. Shah said.
Appealing to the people to vote for the BJP, Mr. Shah said, “You gave enough chances to the BSP and the SP. You must uproot the Samajwadi Party government and give a chance to the BJP which will usher in development.”
Mr. Shah said Bundelkhand was rich in natural resources and would develop immensely once illegal mining was stopped.
“I promise that U.P. will be the richest State in the country once BJP comes to power. There will be no loot of public money, no scam, as have been taking place all these years under the Samajawadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party rule,” he said, while pitching for same-party rule at the Centre and State for a “corruption-free” U.P.
Mr. Shah alleged that ‘gangsters’ and ‘criminals’ were present in both the SP and BSP and that was why both could not improve the law and order situation.
“Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had said that he would resign if Mukhtar Ansari’s Qaumi Ekta Dal was merged with the Samajwadi Party. Well, the merger took place. Where is Akhilesh now? Why is he continuing as CM?,” he asked.
He alleged that while the SP had people like Mukhtar Ansari, Ateek Ansari and Azam Khan, the BSP had Naseemuddin. “But there are no goonda elements in the BJP,” he claimed. He also charged that all the schemes started by the BJP government at the Centre were unable to reach the people of the State due to the ‘culture of commission’ of the U.P. government.
Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Kalraj Mishra, and Uma Bharti, besides BJP vice-president Om Mathur and State BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya addressed the gathering.
‘Will end water crisis’Mr. Rajnath Singh also raised the “deteriorating law and order situation in the State”. He said agriculture had been hit in Bundelkhand as farmers were unable to get water. A BJP government in U.P. would ensure the water crisis was solved in 5-10 years, he promised.
Ms. Uma Bharti raised the longstanding demand of statehood for Bundelkhand.
Mr. Shah is expected to flag off two more Parivartan Rath Yatras, one from Sonbhadra and another from Ballia on November 8 and 9, respectively. All the four yatras will culminate in a massive public rally to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
