Congress, SP, BSP are trying to outdo each other in votebank politics: Modi

Continuing his tirade against the Congress-led UPA Government, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have borrowed vote bank politics from the ruling party at the centre and have embellished it.

Addressing a rally here, the Gujarat Chief Minister said: "By nature, the Congress is a divisive party. They believe in divide and rule. Samajwadi Party and BSP have borrowed vote-bank politics from the Congress and have embellished it. It is a result of Congress's sins that Samajwadi Party, BSP have been spawned."

He further said that the BJP is driven by principles of nationalism and integration.

"We do not want to those who divide people. If we follow development agenda then these issues of casteism, communalism, dynasty politics will stop," he added.

He further criticised Akhilesh Yadav-led Uttar Pradesh Government over the poor electricity situation in the state. "The UP government has not provided basic amenities to the people of Agra", he said.

Earlier addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich town, Modi hit out at the SP and the BSP and said that the two parties are competing with each other to collect criminals for their party.

"SP, BSP are competing to collect criminals, and make money through corruption. Two BJP MLAs were wrongly arrested and put behind bars. I want to ask those 'shehenshah's' in power in Uttar Pradesh, what was the reason you jailed two of our MLAs and your case did not stand in a court of law? For vote bank politics, they don't want to keep criminals in jail, and want to imprison innocent people," he said.

"In Uttar Pradesh when there is power failure it makes no news, but when there is electricity supply it makes news. There is a competition as to who has the most number of criminals in their parties, there is competition on corruption," he added.

Modi also said that Uttar Pradesh has the potential to develop itself, and added that if the state had progressed, the entire country would have fared better.

"We have to stress on skill development - that is the only way we can ensure jobs for youth. In Gujarat, Sugar mills start working after Dussehra. Here in UP, Diwali has gone by, but the mills are yet to start functioning. If Uttar Pradesh decides, India can get political stability," he said.