Launching a scathing attack on the proposed ‘mahagathbandhan’ of opposition parties, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Wednesday said that there would be a new prime minister everyday of the week if the grand alliance came to power.
Shah said this while formally kicking off BJP’s poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh by addressing meetings of booth-level party workers in Lucknow and Kanpur on Wednesday.
The BJP chief said that the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party tie-up represented corruption, casteism, family rule and crime.
“The opposition should spell out who its prime ministerial candidate is. If the ‘mahagathbandhan’ takes shape, Mayawati will be the prime minister on Monday, Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday, Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, Sharad Pawar on Thursday, Deve Gowda on Friday and MK Stalin on Saturday and Sundays will be holiday,” Shah said with sarcasm.
Lashing out at the BSP-SP alliance, the BJP chief said, “Mayawati wants a majboor sarkar (helpless government) while the BJP is for a majboot (strong) government.”
“The alliance government will be run by ‘dealers’ while a strong leader will run the BJP government. In the 2014 parliamentary elections, a strong foundation was laid, in 2017, a building was constructed and in 2019, it would be strengthened further. The alliance claims to bring a change but they do not have a leader,” Shah quipped.
“People say that the way to Delhi is possible only through Uttar Pradesh. Yes, this time too, the route to Delhi will go through UP. People talk about ‘mahagathbandhan’, ‘bua-bhatija’, but I say let them all unite. They are coming together because of your power, your fear. Today, criminals are surrendering because of fear of police. Earlier, the police were afraid of criminals,” the BJP chief said.
“The BJP has four Bs — ‘Badhta Bharat’ and ‘Banta Bharat’. Similarly, those forming an alliance have four Bs — ‘bua’ (aunt), ‘bhatija’ (nephew), and ‘bhai’ (brother) and ‘behen’ (sister),” Shah said, accusing the opposition of dynastic politics.
Training his guns at the Congress, the BJP chief mocked at the appointment of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as Congress general secretary and said that a government run by a dynasty could not serve the people, but only provide a ‘majboor’ sarkar.
On Ram temple issue, Shah lashed out at the Congress, saying that the party does not have the right to speak on Ram Janmabhoomi.
“The BJP wants temple at Lord Ram’s birthplace. But whenever the case comes up for hearing, Congress lawyers create obstacles. They raise questions on judges and advocates and seek another date. (Narendra) Modi has done a great job by deciding to file petition before Supreme Court seeking the transfer of 42 acres of undisputed land to Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas. The BJP is committed to building a Ram temple in Ayodhya and it is not a political issue for us,” he said.
Shah asked party cadre to ensure that the party gets 50 per cent of the votes at every booth to win 74 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state. In the 2014 polls, BJP and its allied had won 73 seats.
The BJP chief also exhorted party workers to ensure a formidable victory for the party in Lok Sabha polls.
Listing the achievements of the National Democratic Alliance government, Shah said that the BJP had given legal status to National Backward Class Commission and had also given 10 per cent reservation to the poor among the upper caste.
“Soon, UP will become number one state in the country under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The quantity of wheat the BJP government has purchased in two years, other parties have been unable to do in 22 years. Earlier, Congress used to give only Rs 3.30 lakh crore to UP, but Modi gave Rs 10.27 lakh crore to the state every year. If Modi is voted back, then India will become one of the most powerful nations,” Shah said.
Wednesday’s twin addresses by Shah are the first two of the six regional booth-level meets planned in UP. For these meeting, the BJP has given the slogan ‘Mera Booth Sabse Majboot’ (my booth strongest), to pump up the cadre.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP state chief MN Pandey and Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma were also present and spoke in the meetings.
