BJP, SP term UPA’s priorities Amethi, Rae Bareli centric

A file photo of Mr. Kalraj Mishra. Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

After the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati questioned the UPA government’s priorities on development, which she had claimed were Rae Bareli and Amethi centric, the BJP and Samajwadi Party too have called for bringing industries and central institutions in other parts of the state.

Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Kalraj Misra on Tuesday said, “There is no objection to the Centre initiating a number of schemes and projects for the twin constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi represented by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi respectively.

But, there should be equitable distribution of projects in other parts of the state, specially the backward regions of Bundelkhand and Purvanchal.”

Going by the past record it is amply clear that priorities of the UPA government is merely Rae Bareli and Amethi, whereas there are some areas, which demand more attention to have a direct and immediate impact on its development, Mr. Misra said.

The BJP MP who had written a letter for equitable distribution of industrial development in the state to the Prime Minister sometime back, said that he had also raised this issue in the Rajya Sabha earlier.

This kind of lopsided development could lead to unpleasantness in the society, Mr. Misra warned.

Airing similar views, Samajwadi Party spokesman, Rajendra Chaudhary said that the Centre should worry for the entire state and not just about a handful of constituencies represented by its top leaders.

“It would be better for the UPA government to look beyond Rae Bareli and Amethi, if it wants the people of the state to actually benefit from the development projects,” Mr. Chaudhary said.

The SP leader said that the Congress high command should also check tendency among its leaders to go all out to please by announcing projects and institutions in their parliamentary constituencies.

BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has repeatedly been attacking the Centre for its lack of concern for different parts of the state other than Rae Bareli and Amethi.

Rejecting the allegations, UP Congress spokesman Akhilesh Singh said that all political parties should be happy for the projects coming in the state and cooperate in its successful implementation.

“Amethi and Rae Bareli are part of the state,” he said citing schemes like NREGS, rural electrification and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, which were on in the state.

Projects like Hindustan Paper Mill, Rail Coach Factory and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology have already been announced for Amethi and Rae Bareli.