LUCKNOW: Commencing the campaign for the third phase of polls to 59 seats across 16 districts mainly comprising of those in the Yadav belt, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit the trail in the city of perfume – Kannauj — targeting the opposition over dynastic politics yet again while making an emphatic reiteration of Yogi’s return to power by saying “Ayegi toh BJP hi, ayenge toh Yogi hi (Only BJP will form the government, only Yogi will return),” on Saturday. The third phase polling will take place on February 20.
PM Modi accused the parties, being run by the dynasties (Pariwarwadi), of having destroyed the “essence of democracy” which meant ‘a system of the people, by the people, and for the people.’
"Across the world, a democratic government is defined as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. The dynastic parties of our country have changed this essence of democracy. Their mantra is a government of the family, by the family, and for the family," he observed.
Addressing a rally in Tirwa assembly constituency of Kannauj, Modi said: "The first phase of voting has spelt a humongous majority for the BJP and the initial indications have deprived the ‘Pariwarwadis’ of their sleep and the dreams of coming to power in UP. The BJP will come into power again,” he said.
The PM cautioned the electorate of Kannauj against letting its vote be divided on the basis of community or caste. He called upon them to foil the opposition’s design. “Vote unitedly in support of BJP so that the ventures of development started during the last five years can be completed fruitfully,” he said.
In 2017, of the three assembly segments in Kannauj, BJP had won two and SP one, Moreover, of the 26 seats across 7 districts – Etah, Etawah, Mainpuri, Auraiayya, Firozabad, Farrukhabad and Kannauj-- of Yadav belt considered to be the stronghold of Akhilesh Yadav, BJP had registered a big win by bagging 20 seats and SP had to be content with just 6.
Coming own heavily over the law and order scenario during the previous SP rule, the PM, in the backyard of the pocket borough of Akhilesh Yadav, claimed that the dynasts were desperate to return to power to spread the reign of terror by mafia and rioters in the state. “The first phase of polling has shown the mirror to them as the people have voted for development and the BJP,” said Modi adding that the rioters should not be allowed to come to power. “The political foundation of these dynastic parties lies on lawlessness and anarchy which is well reflected in their list of candidates. Most of them are history-sheeters and some even fighting the elections from jail,” said PM hinting at SP MP Azam Khan and Nahid Hassan of Kairana.
SP has fielded Azam Khan from his traditional Rampur seat. The parliamentarian is lodged in Sitapur Jail since February 2020.
His son, Abdullah Azam Khan, who is out on bail after spending 23 months in jail, is also contesting from the Suar Tanda assembly constituency. Nahid Hasan, in the fray from the Kairana seat, is in jail after being charged under the stringent Gangsters Act.
In his address, the Prime Minister stated that the perfume industry of Kannauj had fallen victim to politics of extreme 'parivaarwaad'. “They (Samajwadi Party) have defamed the perfume business here with the taint of corruption by their exploits. They linked perfume with corruption."
"We are working to give global recognition to the perfume of Kannauj. We are working to take Kannauj's perfume to the international market under the Yogi’s flagship ODOP scheme," he added.
Notably, in the recent past, a number of perfume traders including SP MLC Pushraj Jain of Kannauj were raided by the Income Tax department for tax evasion running into crores.
Sensing the pulse of the ground in Kannauj and adjoining districts that have a respectably dominant chunk of OBC population, the PM listed the work done by the double engine government for the benefit of OBCs claiming that it was his government that accorded constitutional status to the OBC Commission. The PM also cited the provision of reservation of seats in medical colleges for the OBC candidates done by his government.
The speech comes ahead of the second phase polling in Uttar Pradesh which is slated to be held on February 14 (Monday).