Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati
Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Swatantradev Singh on Sunday accused the SP and BSP of always promoting casteism and corruption while in power, unlike the saffron party governments "working for development."
Singh made the remark while addressing an election rally at Pratapgarh to seek support for joint BJP-Apna Dal (Sonelal) candidate Rajkumar Pal, contesting the October 21 assembly bye-polls.
"If power comes to Chanakya, it creates great rulers like Chandragupt Maurya. If this power comes to SP and BSP, it gives rise to casteism and corruption," said Singh.
"If the same power comes to Modi, it leads to the construction of houses for the poor," said the UP BJP chief.
Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have been working for development and to eliminate corruption.
Bye-polls are being held for a total of 11 Uttar Pradesh assembly seats, necessitated in some due to election of MLAs to the Lok Sabha.
The assembly constituencies going to vote are Gangoh, Rampur, Iglas (SC), Lucknow Cantonment, Govindnagar, Manikpur, Pratapgarh, Zaidpur (SC), Jalalpur, Balha (SC) and Ghosi.
The assembly constituency of Ghosi became vacant following the resignation of sitting MLA Phagu Chauhan after he was appointed as Bihar's governor.
Of the 11 seats, which are going to bypolls, eight were held by the BJP. Pratapgarh was held by Apna Dal (Sonelal) - a BJP ally.
The seats of Rampur and Jalalpur (Ambedkarnagar) were held by the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party respectively.
The maximum number of candidates 13 each are from Lucknow Cantonment and Jalalpur assembly constituencies, followed by 12 in Ghosi, and 11 each in Gangoh, Pratapgarh and Balha (SC).
Nine candidates each are in the fray from Govindnagar and Manikpur. Besides, seven candidates each will contest from Rampur, Iglas (SC) and Zaidpur (SC).
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