Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to news agency ANI a day before the first phase of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking on political dynamics in elections going in Uttar Pradesh, PM said that people from UP taught a powerful lesson about the arrogance of ‘two boys.
He added, ‘We had seen the game of ‘two boys’ prior too. They had such a level of arrogance that they used’ Gujarat ke do gadhe.’ UP did teach them a lesson. Another time there were ‘two boys’ and a ‘bua ji’ with them. Still, it didn’t work out for them.’
Modi addressed several topics, including the upcoming assembly elections in four other states (Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab, and Manipur), the year-long farmers’ protest against the Centre’s three new farm laws, and his security lapse in Punjab’s Ferozpur last month, among others.
He also voiced confidence that his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), would win the upcoming assembly elections in five states.
He also hit out at the Opposition and said parties that forged fickle alliances and were embroiled in family-oriented politics could never gain the trust of the people. He said that the BJP’s agenda of development aimed to rise above caste-specific considerations.
“Uttar Pradesh has decided to create a new history this time. The people of UP are determined that the pace of development in the state for the last five years should not be allowed to stop,” Modi said.
The BJP is aiming to become the first party to retain power in India’s most populous state in two decades by fending off challenges from the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress. The party won the past three polls in the state – the general elections in 2014 and 2019 and the assembly election in 2017 – but faces issues of rising unemployment, price rise, farm anger in some pockets, and a possible fracture in its multi-caste rainbow Hindu coalition.
