Akhilesh will leave state on March 10: UP BJP president

Vivek Tripathi

Varanasi, March 5 (IANS) As Uttar Pradesh enters the final and the seventh phase of polling, State BJP President Swatantra Dev Singh said that after the poll results on March 10, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav will finally leave the state and will travel to London.

The State BJP President in an exclusive interview with IANS said, till the sixth phase of polling, the BJP will win more than 300 seats. Akhilesh Yadav, who claims to win 400 seats, will leave Uttar Pradesh on March 10 for London and close down his party office.

Asked about the SP Chief's claims that the BJP will face defeat, Singh said, "Akhilesh Yadav's comments should not be taken too seriously. He made such remarks in 2014, 2017 and in 2019 as well. Leaders like him have forged various alliances in the past and will lose their relevance during the current Assembly polls."

The BJP is a disciplined party, he said, adding, "I recently met an electoral officer from Bengaluru, who said elections are taking place peacefully in Uttar Pradesh. Our party workers participate in elections by following all rules and regulations. There is no indiscipline in our party. Any individual can make any kind of claims against us? Our party workers focus on their work. They do not have any time for controversies."

On the question of Sanghmitra Maurya, daughter of former Cabinet Minister Swami Prasad Maurya, campaigning against the party, Singh said, "She has not campaigned against our party. If and when the issue comes to our attention, we will take a decision on it."

Singh further said, "The BJP talks only about development. But if there was an exodus of a particular community during the previous government, then it is our duty to inform the people about it. Whatever wrong doings the SP government had committed, people have a right to know about it. A party like the SP openly backs terrorists."

On BJP asking for votes from Muslim women, Singh said, "Muslim women have become free from regressive practices such as Triple Talaq. They have been allotted houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and have full faith in the Narendra Modi government. Muslim women have benefited from various welfare schemes launched by the Centre and the state government. They will surely vote in large numbers for the BJP."

On the question why BJP has not fielded a single Muslim candidate, the State BJP president said, "BJP is a worker-based party. It reviews the candidates who were allotted tickets in previous elections after which they are finally given tickets."

Asked how will the BJP fight the caste-based alliances in Purvanchal, Swatantra Dev Singh said, "This time people are voting in the name of development and the rule of law."

How do you see the SP, Congress and the BSP faring during this election, he added, "All three parties are fighting to remain relevant. They are no match to the BJP, which is again going to form the government in Uttar Pradesh with full majority."

How will you see the BJP performing during the last six phases of elections, he said, "The BJP will win more than 300 seats of the six phases held so far. This time women are actively participating in the electoral process and are voting in favour of Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. People will vote only for development. The BJP will again form the government with an absolute majority in the state."

Asked about the five poll issues on which the BJP is contest elections, he said, "Law and order, housing for the poor, toilets, free ration and transparent governance. All the opposition parties only want to exploit the poor. In a global pandemic like Covid-19, the BJP government worked to serve the poor and the marginalised sections of the society. Parties like the SP and the BSP are nowhere. The welfare schemes of the government both by the Centre and the state have successfully reached every village and people have benefited from them. Basic facilities like electricity have considerably improved in the state."