LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi while exuding confidence that Yogi Adityanath will return to power in UP with thumping majority introduced a new narrative woven around the division of Hindu votes in the poll arena on Monday.
The PM expressed concern over a statement by a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP in Goa where she allegedly talked about dividing Hindu votes to avert their consolidation in favour of one party (read the BJP) in Goa. The TMC MP reportedly gave the statement during an interview.
Modi was addressing a huge poll rally in Akbarpur of Kanpur Dehat where people had converged from 11 adjoining assembly constituencies including Bithoor, Bilhaur, Ghatampur assemblies of Kanpur, Kanpur Rural, Rasoolabad, Rania Akbarpur, Sikandra and Bhognipur, Madhogarh, Orai and Kalpi.
At the outset of his 46-minute speech, the PM said that while UP was voting in the second phase of its assembly elections, Uttarakhand and Goa were also witnessing polling.
"I want to bring a very serious issue to the notice of voters of this country. I read an interview of an MP of Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee's party, wherein she had claimed that TMC had jumped into the fray in Goa and clinched an alliance with Shiv Sena to so as to divide the Hindu voters in the state," said the PM.
The PM did not stop here and continued by asking if it was a democracy when politicians were openly claiming that they wanted to divide Hindu voters.
"Then whom do you want to unite? I want to urge the voters of Goa and other states that this is the time to bury such kind of political narrative forever with your vote," stressed the PM.
Political pundits believe the concerns raised by the PM in Akbarpur over the division of Hindu votes has set an agenda in UP. It may be recalled that in 2017, the PM had suddenly introduced the narrative of 'Kabristan-Shamshan' when the third phase of UP assembly polls was on and that had changed the narrative of the polls in the rest of the phases.
The PM claimed that the first two phases of the UP elections had made four things clear.
"The BJP and Yogi Adityanath are coming back, every caste and community is going to vote unitedly for the development of UP, mothers and daughters have taken up the responsibility to lead the BJP to victory and that my Muslim sisters, mothers and daughters are stepping out silently to bless Modi," said the PM.
He also continued with his diatribe against the rival Samajwadi Party, reiterating the jibe of 'Pariwarwadi' and claiming that the first two phases had indicated a big win for the BJP and Yogi Adityanath who will come back to power in UP with an even higher number of seats as compared to previous elections by drubbing the dynasts.
Firing a fresh salvo against the SP over its alliances, the PM claimed that after the elections, SP will sideline all of its allies. "When they keep changing their allies, then how will they serve the people of Uttar Pradesh?" asked the PM.
Talking about corruption, the PM took a swipe at the Samajwadi Party accusing them of having distributed areas among family members for "loot" during their rule in the state. He said: "The 'Parivaarwadi' will again be defeated by the people of Uttar Pradesh and the festival of colours Holi will be celebrated in Uttar Pradesh on March 10 itself."
He accused the previous SP regime of letting corruption and lawlessness thrive. The PM asked the people whether they would like to vote for a party that would create "mafia ganj" in every district of the state. "If they had their way, they would have made Kanpur and other such areas in UP, a 'mafia ganj' mohalla. Now, their 'mafiagiri' is counting its last breath. These 'parivaarvadi' want to give power to these mafias again. UP public will have to stay alert," he said.