CAMPAIGNING ENDS
RAHUL donations to the BJP hidden, he asked.
“It was found that a company got a contract for thousands of crores (of rupees) and after a few days, that company made a donation to the BJP. There was a CBI or ED inquiry on a firm and after 10-15 days, that firm made a donation to the BJP and that inquiry was ended,” he charged.
The electoral bonds scheme is the “world’s biggest extortion scheme”, the Congress leader said.
“No matter how much clarification the prime minister gives, it will make no difference because the whole country knows that the prime minister is the champion of corruption,” Gandhi alleged.
Asked how many seats he expects the Congress-SP alliance to win, Gandhi said that he does not predict the number of seats but can definitely say that the coalition will do very well in Uttar Pradesh.
On the overall scenario, he said, “15-20 days ago it seemed that the BJP would go up to 180 seats. Now it seems that it will go up to 150 seats only. We are getting reports from every state that our position is getting stronger and there is an undercurrent (in favour of the INDIA bloc).””As far as the alliance in Uttar Pradesh is concerned, our alliance is very powerful. Our performance will be very good,” he asserted.
In his remarks at the presser, Yadav asserted that “winds of change” are blowing from western Uttar Pradesh and there will be an INDIA bloc “clean sweep” from Ghaziabad to Ghazipur.
He also urged people to ensure that their votes are not divided and asked them to guard their booths to ensure a wipeout of the BJP.
“The first phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh is going to be held. The winds that are blowing from the west are going to change the environment of the whole Uttar Pradesh and the country,” Yadav said.
“Today, we are sitting in Ghaziabad. There will be a clean sweep of the INDIA bloc over the BJP from Ghaziabad to Ghazipur,” the SP chief said.
He claimed that farmers are distressed as all of the BJP’s promises and claims have turned out to be a “big lie”.
Neither have farmers’ incomes doubled nor have youngsters got jobs, he said.
“Their (BJP) balloon of morality has burst. The electoral bonds issue has exposed them. The BJP has become a godown of the corrupt. They are not only taking in the corrupt but also their earnings,” Yadav alleged.
“They (BJP) made claims of double-engine (government), look at their hoardings now. Their candidates are missing and
only one person is there. After the polls, the person who is alone on the hoardings will also disappear,” he said in an apparent swipe at Prime Minister Modi.
“Lying and looting have become their identity,” Yadav added.
“The people of the country want change... I am confident that an INDIA bloc government will be formed,” he asserted.
drum up support for their candidates.
The BJP’s campaign pitch focused on law and order, construction of Ram temple, abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, triple talaq and strong governance while opposition leaders flagged issues of unemployment, inflation, Agniveer scheme, farmers’ plight and electoral bonds.
The stage is set for a threecornered contest between the BJP-led NDA, Samajwadi Party, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
Chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa said no campaign related activities by candidates is allowed in these eight constituencies now.
The presence of workers of all political parties has also been restricted, he said.
Political experts believe that the outcome of the first phase would also be a test for INDIA bloc as all these seats have 35 to 40% Muslim voters and chances of opposition alliance would improve if its candidates manage to attract Dalit and OBC votes too.
It is in this phase that the opposition flagged issues of alleged unrest among Rajputs, Saini, Tyagi and Pal communities in the region though BJP strategists are confident about victory of their candidates on these eight seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already addressed rallies in Meerut and Pilibhit, while UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has addressed more than 20 rallies in these seats.
BSP president Mayawati and her nephew Akash Anand have addressed several election meetings canvassing for party candidates.
Akhilesh Yadav addressed rallies in Pilibhit, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Moradabad, and Nagina.
Prominent candidates in this phase are Jitin Prasada from Pilibhit, Union minister Sanjeev Balyan from Muzaffarnagar, and Azad Samaj Party chief Chandra Shekhar Azad from Nagina.
SP’s Muslim face in Rampur, Azam Khan, is conspicuous by his absence in the constituency as he is currently lodged in jail in Sitapur. Input from agency