New Delhi:
Tuesday marked the final day of the campaign for the first of seven phases of Uttar Pradesh’s municipal elections, which start from Friday. When the campaign ended, we saw top leaders of all parties campaign in western UP, where people will vote for 58 seats in 11 districts.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaigned in Moradabad, Amroha, Modinagar and Jewar. At his meeting at Jewar’s Rabupura, he reminded people of BJP’s development projects while going out to other parties.
“A Jewar airport is being made here and it will be one of the world’s largest airports. We are even going to bring all of Mumbai here while making a movie city. During the reign of the Samajwadi party there was no electricity. And even the hand pump has dried up (hand pump is the symbol of Rashtriya Lok Dal). Previous governments have concentrated on making guns, but we are making a defense corridor,” said Yogi Adityanath.
The congress in charge of UP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra carried out door-to-door campaigns in Hastinapur and campaigned in Mathura, where it saw prayers being offered at Vishram Ghat on the Yamuna.
Other congressional leaders, such as Shashi Tharoor, campaigned in Noida, where he accused the BJP of divisive politics in the campaign.
RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary campaigned in the Garh Mukteshwar assembly seat of Hapur, where he attacked Yogi Adityanath. “A baba from Gorakhpur would like to come and spoil our family here in western UP. They would like to spoil our harmony. They will say that we will cool you all 20 percent and take all your heat away. I will answer him But you all have to give him an answer by February 10, too,” Mr Chaudhury said.
Western UP is being touted as one of the toughest battles in the UP elections as BJP fights against a perception of unpopularity after nearly a year-long protest against agricultural laws. In the 2017 elections, the BJP had a 76 percent strike rate in western UP seats.
The Jat-Muslim factor is crucial on West UP seats. The communities broke up after the riots in Muzaffarnagar, but opposition parties hope that consolidation between the two communities will take place in light of the peasant protests.
Jat-dominated constituencies such as Meerut, Shamli, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar will vote on Feb. 10. Kairana will also vote on this day. This was where Interior Minister Amit Shah raised the issue of the “Hindu exodus” during his campaign.
Mathura, where the Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple remains a campaign issue, will vote on Thursday, as will the National Capital Region, or NCR, areas such as Ghaziabad and Noida.