New Delhi: Pushing for the last leg of the election in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati held joint rallies across eastern UP. Besides crucial seats like Gorakhpur and Phulpur, the PM’s home turf Varanasi will also go to the polls on May 19. Top saffron leaders have been asked to spread out and complete “door to door campaigns” by Friday.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance had won all 13 Lok Sabha seats going to the polls in the last phase of the election in UP. The BJP had won Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon, Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi and Robertsganj seats, while its ally Apna Dal won Mirzapur, from where party leader Anupriya Patel was elected to the Lok Sabha.
In the current election, however, the BJP is facing a tough fight from the Mahagathbandhan, while the Congress is claiming that it will take back the seats of Kushinagar and Mirzapur from the BJP. Former Union minister and Congress leader R.P.N. Singh is contesting from Kushinagar, while Lalitesh Tripathi is contesting from Mirzapur.
Taking the attack directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BSP chief Mayawati alleged the PM had “crossed all limits of decency” in terming the BSP her personal property. “The entire country knows that most of those having benami properties and the corrupt are connected with the BJP,” she said, claiming Mr Modi is “honest only on paper, just like he is an OBC only on paper”.
The BJP is not taking any chances this time. The state leadership is spread out in all 13 seats. Interestingly, Varanasi and Gorakhpur are the seats of the PM and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. In the Gorakhpur bylections, the BJP candidate had lost to the Opposition alliance. The BJP is trying hard to win back the seat.
AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also did a roadshow in Varanasi. On Thursday, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati plan to address a joint rally in Varanasi. Mr Modi is expected to stay Thursday night in Varanasi.
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