PM Modi, Akhilesh-Rahul Trade Barbs, Woo UP Voters at Mega Rallies
PM Modi addressed a crowd in Aligarh, while Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi held a joint rally in Kanpur.
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- It was Super Sunday in Uttar Pradesh with the BJP and the Samajwadi Party-Congress combine holding rallies across the state
- UP wants the lotus to bloom, PM Modi told the crowd at Aligarh
- BJP President Amit Shah addressed a gathering in Mathura
- Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi addressed rallies at Unnao and Saharanpur respectively, before holding a joint rally in Kanpur
'Like Bihar, BJP Will Lose in UP Too'
Rahul Gandhi urged the crowd to pick the SP-Congress alliance and said that the BJP would face a repeat of the Bihar assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
He slammed the demonetisation initiative and the ‘Make in India’ campaign. “You (the public) say PM Modi murdabad. I know you are angry. Go and vote against the BJP and make SP-Congress win 300 seats,” he said.
Rahul Mocks Modi's 'SCAM' Remark
Following Akhilesh Yadav’s speech, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi took the stage at the Kanpur rally.
'Why Is Modi Attacking BSP?'
Raking up Modi’s ‘SCAM stands for Samajwadi Congress Akhilesh Mayawati’ remark, the UP Chief Minister demanded to know why the Prime Minister was attacking the BSP despite having joined hands with the Mayawati-led party in the past.
Akhilesh Addresses Joint Rally in Kanpur
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi hold a joint rally in Kanpur, after addressing separate crowds at Unnao and Saharanpur respectively.
Hitting out at the Modi government, Akhilesh criticised demonetisation.
UP Doesn't Want 'SCAM', It Wants 'Kamal': Modi
People of UP want kamal (lotus) – the BJP’s party symbol – Modi said. Training his guns on the opposition, he said that the people of the state have rejected the “SCAM” (an acronym he referred to as ‘Samajwadi Congress Akhilesh Mayawati’ on Saturday).
He also criticised the state’s crime rates and said that the “mafia” needs to be driven out.
'UP Govt Should Pay Sugarcane Farmers'
“If the Haryana government can pay the sugarcane farmers, why can’t the UP government do it?” Modi asked, reiterating his promise that the BJP will pay sugarcane farmers if elected to power in the state.
He reminded the crowd in Aligarh of his pre-2014 election promise of taking up the plight of sugarcane farmers once he was elected to office.
The party wants to make rural India smoke-free. “We've launched the Ujjwala Yojana and are providing gas connections to the poor,” he said.
'Remove Ministers Who Shelter 'Gundas' to Ensure Safety of Women'
Uttar Pradesh will be a safe place for women if ministers who shelter criminals are removed, Modi says.
'UP Made Me PM, I Have a Debt to Pay to It'
Hoping to replicate the success of 2014, he made an emotional plea to the crowds saying he’ll repay the state for electing him as the prime minister.
Modi promises Electricity, Law and Order, Roads in UP
“Vikas (development) for me means V for vidyut (electricity), K for kanoon (law) and S for sadak (roads),” Modi says.
Modi Mocks Rivals at Aligarh Rally
The people of Uttar Pradesh want change, Modi said, adding that the BJP was fighting for women, small businessmen and farmers.
“The last time I was at these grounds in 2014, the crowds didn’t even fill half of it. Today, I see a sea of saffron here,” he said.
PM Modi Introduces Candidates from Aligarh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi kickstarts his address at Aligarh’s Exhibition Grounds. All seven BJP candidates from Aligarh are present at the rally.
Power-Packed Sunday in UP
With the first phase of Uttar Pradesh elections just days away, political stalwarts are all set to up the ante to woo the electorate.
It’s going to be a rally-packed Sunday in the state, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to address a crowd in Aligarh and a joint roadshow planned by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi in Kanpur.
Modi addressed a rally in Meerut on Saturday, as a part of BJP’s 12-rally series in UP. Attacking the Opposition, he said that BJP’s fight in UP is against ‘SCAM - Samajwadi Congress Akhilesh Mayawati.
Akhilesh and Rahul held a rally in Agra on Saturday. Lashing out at Modi’s “SCAM” jibe, Akhilesh Yadav said that the acronym stands for ‘Save Country from Amit Shah and Modi’.
Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to vote in a seven-phase election between 11 February and 8 March.
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