‘Poll a chance to teach Opposition parties a lesson’

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress sympathised with the maa and forced the common people to endure their misrule.

“This election is giving you an opportunity to teach these parties tough lessons electorally,” said Mr. Adityanath at a rally in Hathras for BJP candidate Anup Pradhan Valmiki.

Targeting the Opposition for allegedly questioning the existence of Lord Ram, the Chief Minister accused the parties of following appeasement politics. “You [voters] must question the existence of those who question the existence of Lord Ram and Shri Krishna,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the Opposition parties are misleading the country by blaming electronic voting machines (EVMs) for their defeat. “People of the Congress and their allies are trying to mislead the country. They want to blame EVMs for their defeat. Those who are rejecting EVMs today are the same people who used to loot ballots,” he said.

Describing the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre as one committed to the poor, Mr. Adityanath said Opposition parties sowed seeds of division in society.

The CM said the interests of the poor, farmers, women, and youth were neglected by the SP, BSP and the Congress governments, which “prioritised vote bank politics and sowed seeds of division within castes and society”.

“Under these governments, the poor faced starvation while terrorists were treated to biryani. The maa wielded in¯uence as patrons, but today, the country and State are progressing without discrimination,” he said.