UP polls: SP accuses BJP of hatching 'conspiracy' at electoral booth level, foresees win

Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav accused BJP of hatching a conspiracy at the polling booth level. Claiming that the saffron party doesn't respect the Constitution, he claimed that the RSS workers from other states are being sent to every village in UP to foment trouble. Moreover, he asserted that BJP's move had cast aspersions on the impartiality of the Election Commission of India. 

In a Facebook post, Yadav was quoted as saying, "The Samajwadi Party enjoys massive support of the people in Uttar Pradesh. BJP is trying to destroy the sanctity of this democratic system owing to this fear. This step by BJP is against the Indian constitution and the will of the people. The BJP government has not only created unrest but also committed the grave sin of stopping the development of the state."

Moreover, he asserted that various sections of the society including the youth, women and farmers are dissatisfied with the performance of the Yogi Adityanath-led government. The SP chief added, "The common person is hassled by the bad policies of the BJP government. The people are fed up and want a change. BJP will be wiped out in the 2022 Assembly polls with the support of the people."

PM hails UP's governance model ahead of polls

In the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, BJP won a whopping 312 seats in the 403-member House, whereas BSP could win only 19 seats. On the other hand, the SP-Congress alliance failed to bear fruit as it could win in only 54 constituencies. While this was seen as a mandate for PM Modi as BJP had not declared any CM candidate, Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath was a surprise pick for the post.

Though Adityanath's stature within the saffron party skyrocketed over the years becoming a star campaigner in all elections, he purportedly attracted ire for the handling of the COVID-19 situation during the second wave. In the last few weeks, BJP leaders have made conflicting statements over Adityanath's future as the Chief Minister. But, PM Modi put rest to all speculations by lauding UP's governance model during his visit to Varanasi on July 15. 

During his interaction with the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana on August 5, the PM praised the CM for his efforts in empowering the people of UP. Pitching the benefits of having a BJP government at the state as well as the Centre, he took a veiled dig at the politics perpetuated by the likes of BSP, SP and Congress. Moreover, he hailed the state's COVID-19 vaccination efforts and asserted that the people had outrightly dismissed rumours spread by opposition parties