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UP voters fighting for incumbency, says PM
Uttar Pradesh assembly election 2022: Prime Minister Modi was speaking at an election rally in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on the last day of campaigning for Monday's seventh and final phase of the ongoing assembly elections in the state.
VARANASI: The political campaign blitzkrieg for the final phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections drew to a close on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi.
Addressing the rally in Khajuri village, Modi targeted rival parties, saying “blind opposition, continuous opposition, acute frustration and negativity” have become the political ideology of “parivarwadis”.
The PM also targeted the Opposition for “politicising the Ukraine crisis”.
“One of the strengths of our villages is that when a crisis comes, everyone forgets their grievances, and unites. But if any challenge comes before the country, these parivarvadis (dynasts) look for political mileage in that as well. We saw this during the Covid-19 crisis and today, we are experiencing it during the Ukraine crisis,” Modi said. While he did not name any political party, his comments were a veiled attack on the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
He made the remarks amid the Centre stepping up its efforts to evacuate Indians stranded in the eastern European country, following an invasion by Russia last month. Under Operation Ganga, over 13,300people have been brought back on 63 evacuation flights so far.
Saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party will return to power in the state, Modi said the people of UP have rejected “parivarwadis”.
“Polls in UP are pro-incumbency, people are fighting for the continuation of the government,” he said. “People of Uttar Pradesh don’t want ‘parivarwadis’. BJP will form the government in UP. The people of Uttar Pradesh have completely rejected the parivarwadis, who have given the state hooliganism, mischief, mafia, corruption, and encroachers.”
“Blind opposition, continuous opposition, acute frustration, and negativity have become their political ideology,” he said.
The double engine BJP government, a reference to BJP governments at the Centre and in states, is seeking re-election on the basis of non-discriminatory development and good governance, the PM said.
“UP might not have seen such an election for the last many decades when a government is seeking re-election on the basis of its honest and clean image, good governance and improved law and order situation in the state,” he said.
He said that under Swachh Bharat mission, the BJP government built more than 100 million toilets and the sisters of poor, Dalit and backward families have benefited from it the most.
“Those who live in palaces don’t know the troubles that a poor mother goes through in absence of a toilet at home,” said the Prime Minister.
“The whole world praised India. But did you hear even once any praise for the mission from these parivarvadis,” the PM asked.
The people of Varanasi are smart enough to not fall in the trap of the opposition parties and will continue to vote for the “double engine sarkar”, he said.
“The third decade of the 21st century has brought unprecedented crises and new challenges for the whole world. But India has decided to convert these challenges into opportunities. This resolution (pledge) is not mine or the government’s, it is the resolution of the 130 crore countrymen and the entire country,” the PM said.
Modi also hit out at opposition parties of not fulfilling the promises made in their manifestos when they were voted to power.
“There is a peculiar habit of these parivarvadis. They do what they don’t speak and they don’t do what they speak. Instigating riots was not in their manifesto, they did it. Illegal occupation and looting were not in their manifesto, this was their biggest achievement. Nepotism in schools, police stations, offices and exploitation of employees were not in their manifesto, but they worked diligently on it,” he said.
Taking a dig at the Congress, PM Modi said the party which derived political mileage for years from “khadi” now hesitates to even take its name.
“Dynastic politicians get annoyed even from Vocal for Local. Yoga and ayurveda have become popular all over the world, but they also avoid taking the name of yoga,” he said.
“Have you ever heard from them saying that buy things made in our country, to use things made in our country, or to promote things made in the country? If they were your friends, wouldn’t they have spoken to sell the products made by you or not? But they keep their mouth shut,” he added.
He also thanked the Uttar Pradesh Police for conducting peaceful polling.
“In my last campaign of this election, I would like to congratulate the whole of Uttar Pradesh, its officials, the police department and all of them for conducting peaceful polling. I also congratulate the Election Commission for making arrangements for such peaceful and wonderful polling in six phases, I thank them for this,” he added.
While there was no immediate response from the Congress on the PM’s comments, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the BJP of as pursuing “hollow nationalism”, adding that she would stay put in the state and continue to fight for its people till the emergence of a true and correct change in its politics.
“You (public) are being misled through the issue of caste and religion. You will face the maximum loss with the political leaders incurring hardly losing anything. They just want to come back to power by keeping the people poor,” she said.
A total of 54 assembly seats across nine districts including Azamgarh, Mau, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Sonbhadra, will go to the polls on March 7. Results will be announced on March 10.
