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Nadda says Yogi govt has taken everyone along, people will bless BJP again in UP assembly polls
He asked 67 of the 75 district panchayat chairpersons and 648 of the 826 kshetra panchayat chairpersons, who won on the BJP’s backing, to set the party’s agenda in rural UP
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on Saturday said the people would bless the party again in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls and criticised those who questioned the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
Nadda, who arrived on a two-day visit to the state, also said, “There was a time when it was said that this community was ruling UP or that community was running UP. It appeared as if there was no rule of the society. Now, under the leadership of PM Modi, chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s government in UP has been able to take everyone along.”
He tasked the newly elected district panchayat and kshetra panchayat chairpersons in the state with launching a mega awareness campaign about the initiatives and achievements of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the Yogi Adityanath government in the state.
The 2022 UP assembly elections are due in about seven months’ time. He asked 67 of the 75 district panchayat chairpersons and 648 of the 826 kshetra panchayat chairpersons, who won on the BJP’s backing, to set the party’s agenda in rural UP.
BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh, who has been regularly visiting UP since June to fine-tune the party’s preparedness, gave Nadda company from Delhi.
Nadda addressed the elected representatives at Lucknow’s Indira Gandhi Pratishthan about the same time as Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav held a press conference to criticise the BJP government over what he alleged was its “failure on all fronts”.
Nadda, too, targeted Yadav in a veiled fashion.
He raised the “BJP ki vaccine (BJP’s vaccine)” comment to target Yadav.
“In UP, record vaccination has been done. Now, some said that it was BJP ki vaccine. Our scientists had worked hard to develop the vaccine as a safeguard against Covid and here such comments were made which depict the kind of mindset people have. How can such opposition (think of) running UP?” Nadda said.
On January 2, Akhilesh Yadav had said he would not take the Covid vaccine jab as he did not trust the BJP’s vaccine. He later clarified that he had faith in scientists.
At an event on Friday, Yadav said he had not taken the vaccine yet and would take it only after the needy received it.
Nadda told the rural representatives to visit each household and check if the benefits of the government schemes were reaching them.
“Visit your vicinity and check if anyone has not taken vaccine, if there is any house that doesn’t have a toilet, or free gas connection? It’s our duty to ensure that these benefits reach one and all, without any discrimination,” he said.
Nadda claimed that while the BJP cadres were helping the poor and the needy during the height of the Covid surge, the Opposition leaders had “quarantined” themselves and had limited themselves to criticising the government through virtual press conferences.
Nadda also held a meeting with the in-charges of all the 403 assembly constituencies. Later, he, along with chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other top BJP leaders, met ministers and party functionaries for feedback about various initiatives and poll preparedness.
He is scheduled to visit Agra on Sunday before flying back to Delhi.
Ensure better coordination: Yogi to panchayat chiefs
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday asked the newly elected gram pradhans (village heads), district panchayat and kshetra panchayat chairpersons to ensure better coordination so that development activities could be undertaken in rural areas of the state.
“You are going to be the main agents driving change and development in rural areas. Remember while our government has done record vaccination and undertaken a successful test-trace and treat campaign, the threat of Covid-19 is still not over. “We will have to be cautious and focus on sanitisation,” he said.
UP BJP chief tasks panchayat reps with working for party’s win in assembly polls
Uttar Pradesh BJP president Swatantra Dev asked the newly elected representatives in the rural areas to ensure party’s win in the 2022 UP assembly polls.
“Abrogation of Article 370, the bhoomi pujan for Ram temple in Ayodhya, the fight against Covid-19 have been among several landmark initiatives of the BJP. It’s clear that only the BJP has the policy, leadership and the vision to fuel the development of the country and the state,” he said.
