Hindustan Times (East UP)

Yogi, other BJP leaders hail poll announceme­nt

The BJP has decided to go into the UP elections with Adityanath as the party’s chief ministeria­l face

- HT Correspond­ent letters@htlive.com

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders welcomed the election commission’s announceme­nt of election dates in five states, including Uttar Pradesh (UP), saying that the party will return to power with an overwhelmi­ng majority.

“Elections are a festival of democracy and (with) the people’s blessings on the basis of double engine government’s achievemen­ts, the BJP will be voted back to power with an overwhelmi­ng majority,” Yogi Adityanath tweeted.

The BJP has decided to go into the UP elections with Adityanath as the party’s chief ministeria­l face. Top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, Union home minister Amit Shah and road transport minister Nitin Gadkari have repeatedly backed Adityanath. The UP

assembly elections are to be held in seven phases beginning on February 10 and ending on March 7 with the counting and results on March 10.

Ensure 300-plus seats: UP BJP chief to party workers

UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh, too, welcomed the announceme­nt of the sevenphase state assembly elections and called upon the cadres to ensure 300-plus seats to the BJP in the 403-member state assembly. He also lashed out at the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over his statement that BJP was ahead on virtual campaign and Yadav’s demand to the EC to ensure level playing field for regional parties. “Does this mean that SP is afraid to contest elections? Our chief minister Yogi Adityanath says that on

party’s instructio­ns, he would contest elections from any place while the SP chief is thinking of newer ways to find excuses ahead of the results,” he said.

The BJP had won the 2017 UP elections with 312 seats on its own while its pre-poll allies Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and Apna Dal, too, had won 13 seats.

“Dear cadres, now, with the declaratio­n of the polls, we will have to work tirelessly to ensure that the lotus blooms again in UP,” the UP BJP chief tweeted in Hindi. Lotus is the BJP’s election symbol.

“I am fully confident that with dedicated, devoted cadres like you, the BJP will win 300 plus seats yet again in UP. Bharat Mata ki Jai (hail mother India),” the state BJP chief tweeted.

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