Reitering a statement he made last month that prompted verbal skirmishing between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday that this will be an “80 vs 20” assembly election in the state.
The CM made the comment in an exclusive interview with Rahul Joshi, Group Editor-in-Chief, Network18, while sitting in the Gorakhnath Mandir in Gorakhpur.
“I have said this earlier. This will be an 80 vs 20 election, The 80 will be with the BJP and the 20 with the rest,” he said in the interview, shortly after filing his nomination from the Gorakhpur Urban assembly seat.
The high-stakes elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases, starting from the western part of the politically crucial state on February 10 and moving eastwards, with the final round on March 7. The votes will be counted on March 10.
A very similar statement made last month by the chief minister was seen by opposition parties as an attempt at religious polarisation, with the Samajwadi Party and Congress saying this was aimed at diverting attention from real issues.
“The 80% are those who want to move forward with positive energy. They have seen the improved law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh and want to keep it that way. They have witnessed and experienced the double engine government’s development work and infrastructure creation in Uttar Pradesh for the benefit of present and coming generations. They have seen and want to continue social sector programs for the poor, improved electricity distribution, better transport facilities, optical fibers reaching villages, people’s lives becoming better. All of them are part of the 80% and support the BJP,” Yogi Adityanath said during Friday’s interview.
The 20% are those, he said, who think their illegal activities are being prevented, don’t want the poor to receive support, are against women getting security, prefer riots, lawlessness, Gunda Tax, etc. “They have always opposed us and will continue to do so,” he added.
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