Ghaziabad: CM holds road show without public address, opposition raises questions

The CM planned to address a gathering, but changed the plan due to huge noise and music systems installed along the route, party members said

Ghaziabad

Localities beyond the Ghaziabad railway station are collectively referred to as ‘Linepaar’, where there is a heavy presence of unplanned residential colonies, slum clusters and some high-rises. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday held a 35-minute-long roadshow in Linepaar area of Ghaziabad in support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sanjeev Sharma, in the run-up to the bypoll on November 20.

Following election campaigns in Phulpur in Prayagraj, Sisamau in Kanpur and Khair in Aligarh—which will also go to bypoll on the same day—the CM’s roadshow traversed a 1.25-kilometre route from Chanakya Chowk to DAV Chowk.

Donning a saffron headgear, CM Adityanath waved to the crowd amid loud sounds of dhol and trumpet. He was flanked by Sharma, the candidate, and Ghaziabad MP Atul Garg, atop an open-roof vehicle.

The CM planned to address a gathering, but changed the plan due to huge noise and music systems installed along the route, party members said. “Even though the road show was without CM’s address, it gave a certain message to voters to come out and vote. CM Yogi has an iconic appeal as is one of the most popular leaders across the country. People flocked to get a glimpse of him,” said Ashu Verma, Ghaziabad assembly seat convener.

Localities beyond the Ghaziabad railway station are collectively referred to as ‘Linepaar’, where there is a heavy presence of unplanned residential colonies, slum clusters and some high-rises. These localities comprise almost 65% of the total voters for the Ghaziabad assembly seat, including the majority of backward class, Dalit and minority voters.

“We are not worried about the PDA (Pichda-Dalit-Alpsankhyak) formula as we are focusing on development of all groups and classes. The Samajwadi Party (SP) is again working on PDA formula this bypoll and they will surely lose as voters know that the SP is a worried only about a specific vote bank and a family,” Verma said.

BJP’s Sharma faces competition from SP’s Singhraj Jatav, who is a resident of Linepaar. Besides the two, there are 12 others in the fray.

Hitting back at the BJP, SP district president Faisal Hussain said: “The roadshow shows that the BJP is worried about PDA voters ever since they faced drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha elections. This is why the CM himself came to Linepaar areas but went away without giving answers or replies to public about the lack of development and lack of civic amenities here. The CM’s worry is evident as he has visited Ghaziabad four times in run to the bypoll.”