Campaigning ends for final phase of UP polls
VARANASI: The high-pitch electoral campaign for the seventh and final phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections ended on Saturday, with political leaders making last-minute efforts to mobilise support for their candidates ahead of the March 7 elections.
The final phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted on March 7 in 54 assembly constituencies, including those in Mau, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Bhadohi (Sant Ravidas Nagar) districts.A total of 613 candidates are in the fray for 54 assembly seats, indicating largely multi-cornered contests. Maximum 25 candidates are vying for Jaunpur seat while minimum six candidates each are contesting for two seats including Pindra and Shivpur in Varanasi district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday came down heavily on the Opposition for politicizing the Ukraine crisis, saying that “dynasts always look for opportunities to serve their self-interests”.
“Blind opposition, continuous opposition, acute frustration, and negativity have become their political ideology,” PM Modi said in his sharp attack on the Opposition.
PM Modi while campaigning for the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections said that the Opposition parties look for political interests even when the nation faces challenges, making the situation even more critical. His statement came amidst India stepping up the evacuation of the stranded Indian nationals under ‘Operation Ganga’. Addressing an election rally in his Parliamentary constituency Varanasi, the Prime Minister said, “Whenever some challenges crop up before the nation, these dynasts look for their political interests. If India’s security forces and people deal with a crisis, the Opposition parties do everything to make the situation more critical. We saw this during the pandemic and today during the Ukraine crisis.”
The Opposition, mainly Congress, has been slamming the Centre over ‘Operation Ganga’, alleging late reaction in the evacuation of Indians.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Centre, citing a media report claiming that students were asked to clean toilets to return to India.
“It is an insult of the entire country,” remarked Gandhi on the media report. He had earlier said that “evacuation is a duty and not a favour”.
For the past two years, the Prime Minister said free ration is being made available to over 80 crore poor, Dalits, backward, and tribals. “The entire world is amazed at the rollout of the foodgrains scheme. But I am happy that the poor is happy,” he added.
“Those who live in palaces don’t know the troubles that a poor mother goes through in absence of a toilet at home. They have to either think of answering nature’s call before sunrise or bear the pain throughout the day and do so only after sunset,” the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi has been camping in Varanasi for the last two days. His Parliamentary constituency will go to the polls in the last phase of the state Assembly elections.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday charged that the ration meant for the poor in the state in the past was usurped either by the “henchmen of Samajwadi Party (SP) or the elephant (Bahujan Samaj Party)”.
While campaigning for the last phase of polling in the state elections today at Bhadohi, Adityanath said, “Before 2017, the ration and medicines were either eaten by the henchmen of Samajwadi Party (SP) or by the elephant (the election symbol of Mayawati led Bahujan Samaj Party) of Behenji.”
Yogi made the remarks in reference to the free ration and the vaccine provided by the
Central government during the pandemic. “When I asked an SP leader what development work did their government do in the state when the party was in power, his reply was that the boundary walls of the cemeteries were built in the State,” said Adityanath.
Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the final phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said ruling party in the state seeks votes on “basis of lies.”
Addressing an election rally in Pindra, Varanasi, Rahul Gandhi said, “I will die but will never tell you that I will deposit Rs 15 lakh to your bank accounts. I do not care if it makes you feel good or bad. I respect you all enough to never lie on your faces. Modi Ji lies and says he protects Hinduism. No, he protects lies. They talk about the Hindu religion all over the country. Tell me what is the Hindu religion? It is nothing but the truth. They do not seek votes on the name of the Hindu religion, but on the basis of lies.”