BackIn Lucknow, Modi urges UP to rise above caste, vote for development
At Lucknow rally, Modi attacks dynastic politics and slams political parties for opposing anti-graft fight
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took the political battle on demonetisation to the opposition, accusing it of opposing his initiative to tackle corruption and black money in the economy.
Addressing an election rally organized by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Lucknow, he said: “I say change notes, they say remove Modi. We say fight against corruption, but these parties say remove Modi. We say end the menace of black money, but these parties want to remove Modi."
Modi then went on to link inclusive development with the eradication of corruption.
“We want development of the country, better health facilities and poverty eradication. It will not happen till UP doesn’t develop. We have to change the fate of UP, only then the country will develop," he said.
In the process, Modi made the fight against corruption and the promise of development the central pillars of the BJP’s electoral strategy in the upcoming polls.
He appealed to the voters to rise above caste—the traditional metric defining voting patterns in Uttar Pradesh—and vote instead for development to ensure parivartan or change in the state.
Launching a scathing attack on the state government, the prime minister said the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress were busy trying to establish dynastic politics. “The people of UP have to decide if they want to choose political parties which want to protect their family and money," he said, adding, “there is a party in UP which is trying to establish its son for 15 years but hasn’t succeeded. There is one party which wants to protect its family and there is a third party which wants to save its money."
The PM also sought to galvanize the BJP’s cadre. “We have the responsibility to change the life of the people, end corruption and bring the fruits of development to all. We should be worried about who will become chief minister or who will become a member of legislative assembly," Modi said.
Political analysts believe Modi is seeking to replay the strategy he employed in the 2014 general election by staying on the message of development and the fight against corruption. The BJP swept the state, winning 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats.
“Uttar Pradesh elections are the most important assembly polls in the country. BJP has been out of power for 14 years in the state, but it did exceedingly well in 2014. Now, the BJP wants to repeat the message of development and tag its fight against corruption and black money in the election campaign," said A.K. Verma, a Kanpur-based political analyst and political science professor at Christ Church College.
In response, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said: “The PM forgot to talk about a political party which has been trying to divide the country for the last 67 years—in the name of religion, in the name of caste, in the name of community and now in the name of poor and rich."
Meanwhile, calling the rally a flop show, the Bahujan Samaj Party said: “Instead of sending greetings to people on New Year, the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas have been increased. Now that the 50-day deadline for demonetisation is over, the BJP is only making empty claims."
SP leader Kiranmay Nanda added: “Modiji should first see the development work done in Uttar Pradesh by our government before making false allegations against us. It is they who have troubled people with hardships. We don’t need to work with any other party to defeat the BJP; we will form a majority government on our own."
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