In Chitrakoot, Shah claims 'mahamilawat' has given tickets to 'bahubalis'

BJP president Amit Shah claimed that the 'mahamilawat' (a reference to the grand alliance) has fielded 'bahubalis' in the ongoing polls, but asserted that these strongmen would have no impact on the state under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath.

"The leaders of gathbandhan have not understood till date that Uttar Pradesh has changed. They have given tickets to bahubalis. They think that people of Chitrakoot will get scared, but they do not know that Uttar Pradesh has changed and progressed under Yogi government. Such strongmen would have no impact on our government," he said during an election rally here on Monday.

Shah went on to say that during the BJP government's tenure in the state, the musclemen are 'hung upside down' and 'set right'. (Ab bahubalion ko ulta latka kar seedha kar diya jata hai).

Taking a jibe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the BJP chief quipped that Gandhi travels abroad during the summers as he cannot withstand the season.

"Rahul baba is a mahamilawati leader of the grand alliance. He is a leader who cannot survive in the summer season. Thus, he goes abroad in summers and even his mother has no idea where her son goes in summers," Shah said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi works for around 20 hours a day and has not taken any leave in the last 20 years.

"Wherever I have gone for campaigning, I have heard only one voice - Modi, Modi, Modi. It is a blessing for us. People want to make him the prime minister of the country as people have been waiting for such a leader for 70 years since after independence," he claimed.

Sharpening his attack at BSP supremo Mayawati and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shah claimed, "If you will listen to bua-bhatija speak, you will hear them saying we will do this and that for poor. People have given them a chance for 25 years but they did not do anything for the welfare of the poor. It was Modi government who helped poor people through Ayushman Bharat scheme, Ujjwala Yojna, Pradhanmantri Awas Vikas Yojna, etc."

"A lot of work had been done for the progress of the poor. The upcoming projects like a defence corridor and an expressway, linking Jhansi to Etawah, are some examples of the development work undertaken for Bundelkhand region by our government," he added.

Shah also hit out at former prime minister Manmohan Singh over his alleged inaction against terror attacks.

"Mauni baba (Manmohan)did nothing for the protection of soldiers and took no action against Pakistan. It was Modi, a man with a 56-inch chest, who gave answers to the ghastly terror attacks like Pulwama and Uri through surgical strikes," he said.

"I want to tell Rahul (Gandhi)- we are BJP government, we do not hold talks with terrorists; we reply to them in their language," the BJP chief asserted.

Chitrakoot will go to polls on May 6 as part of the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.