UP minister ready to face Narendra Modi in Meerut

A Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister on Sunday said he was ready to face BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi if he contested the Lok Sabha elections from Meerut.

A Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister on Sunday said he was ready to face BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi if he contested the Lok Sabha elections from Meerut.

Shahid Manzoor, the Samajwadi Party candidate from Meerut, told reporters that he was ready to face the challenge and would not run away.

The minister was responding to queries on whether he would seek another seat from his party if Modi was to contest from the Meerut.

Attacking the BJP, the SP nominee said the saffron party and Modi had through media "created a wave" across the nation.

Referring to Modi's plans to contest from Varanasi and BJP president Rajnath Singh from Lucknow, Manzoor said the leaders were afraid of losing elections and had chosen safe seats.

Stating that BJP was aiming at capturing power in Delhi, he said Modi along with the party giants should contest elections from the national capital.

In Uttar Pradesh, the fight was between SP and communal forces, Manzoor said.