UP polls: In Ayodhya, Nadda asks people to vote for ideology, not individual

After the BJP formed the government at the Centre in 2014, the country has moved towards nationalism, party chief JP Nadda says in Ayodhya

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda on Friday exhorted people to vote for an ideology and not an individual. Nadda was in Ayodhya to address rallies for BJP candidates in Ayodhya Sadar, Milkipur and Rudauli assembly constituencies.

BJP national president JP Nadda at a rally for the UP polls in Ayodhya on Friday. (PTI PHOTO)

Addressing a public meeting in Ayodhya Sadar, Nadda said: “I have come here to seek votes for an ideology, and not for an individual.”

“After the BJP formed the government at the Centre in 2014, the country has moved towards nationalism. After decades of struggle, the Ram temple is coming up in Ayodhya,” he said.

“Soon, an airport will also come up here,” he said at another rally in Milkipur while accusing the Congress of always striving to delay the Ram temple in the temple.

At the Ayodhya Sadar rally, the BJP national president accused the then Samajwadi Party government (2012) of rolling back cases against terrorists and the Allahabad high court turning down the government’s order.

“Under the Samajwadi Party government, terrorists were being released,” Nadda said.

In a video on February 16, Channi was heard saying, “Priyanka Gandhi is the daughter-in-law of Punjab. Will not let the ‘Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi de bhaiye’, who have come here to rule, enter the state.”

The BJP national president said: “When this speech was being delivered, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was clapping.”

Nadda raised the issue just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah did so during their rallies in Uttar Pradesh.

Issuing an appeal to people to vote for BJP candidates, Nadda stated that under PM Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh and the rest of the country was changing.

Nadda also listed various projects of the state government, including expressways.

At the Milkipur rally, Nadda said the fact that SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav campaigned in the seat (Karhal) being contested by Akhilesh Yadav, indicates the party has lost ground in the state.

“If Mulayam ji had to campaign for his son, it means the SP has lost ground. It means the rest of his seats are gone. Akhilesh Yadav is now saving his own assembly constituency,” Nadda said.

Mulayam Singh Yadav addressed an election rally in the Karhal constituency in Mainpuri district on Thursday from where Akhilesh Yadav is contesting his maiden assembly election.

It was Mulayam’s first rally in the current election.

The BJP has fielded Union minister for law and justice SP Singh Baghel against Akhilesh in Karhal.

Ayodhya will go to polls in the fifth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly election on February 27 and Karhal in the third phase on February 20.