UP Polls: Smriti Irani strikes a chord with Khoda voters, raises local issues

Raising the issue of poor civic amenities and lack of safety to women, Union minister of Textiles and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) star campaigner Smriti Irani on Sunday held a rally in Khoda Colony of Ghaziabad and blamed the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party for the mess.

Raising the issue of poor civic amenities and lack of safety to women, Union minister of Textiles and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) star campaigner Smriti Irani on Sunday held a rally in Khoda Colony of Ghaziabad and blamed the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party for the mess.

Around 2 lakh residents of Khoda are expected to vote on February 11. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Khoda is one of the most congested colonies of Ghaziabad and has borders with Noida and Delhi. It is estimated to have a population of over seven lakh and is an important part of the Sahibabad constituency. Around 2 lakh residents are expected to vote on February 11.

“Residents were shown development dreams with a package of ₹300 crore and told that if they voted for Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), their life will be better. The MLA is theirs, the pradhan is also theirs, but Khoda residents have failed to get a better life. The narrow streets are overflowing with drainage and roads are garbage ridden,” she said.

“The Centre sent nearly ₹950 crore for cleanliness in UP but only ₹40 crore was spent and the remaining remains unutilized. The residents should ask those who could not clean Khoda colony. So, you should now vote for the BJP. I was looking at women and girls who were peeping outside and greeting me. Girls remain fearful while stepping out to study and their mothers remain fearful till the girls return home,” she said.

“I am sure that people from Khoda will vote to get rid of overflowing drains, garbage ridden bylanes and lack of safe and clean drinking water. Women here remain worried about the safety of the child if he/she goes out to play near open and overflowing drains. Girls here get worried about stepping out alone as they know that no one will come to their help if they are teased. They know the police will not come (to their aid) as officials will get a phone call from Lucknow to release them,” she said.

She said that the BSP, SP and Congress have not been able to give proper education facilities to girls. The BJP has announced that girls will be given free education up to graduation level. “We need your vote to make this happen,” she said.

“In UP, there is a major problem as recruitment of 1 lakh personnel is still pending. If a young man from a poor family applies for a job, leaders of SP and BSP tell them to show them ‘Laxmi’ (money) and only then will the job be provided. I have come here to assure you that if the BJP comes to power, recruitment of the 1 lakh will be done within a year,” she said.