Is PM Modi also responsible for zero development in UP: BJP asks Akhilesh

Taking a swing at the Samajwadi Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that before blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav should take a glimpse at his own deeds.

"Akhilesh Yadav's government in the past five years couldn't do anything regarding electricity, water, education, security, infrastructure and health. For that also is the Prime Minister responsible?" BJP state secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak told ANI.

He added that state related issues are the responsibility of Akhilesh, emphasising that the issues which are in concern with the nation are being dealt by the Prime Minister, but state-related issues have to be taken care by the Chief Minister only.

"People of Uttar Pradesh are tired of such leadership, such fraud and now they want change. The BJP has decided that the party will help the farmers in every possible manner; we will ensure that every youngster gets landed up with a job. Also we will secure our daughters and improve their education level," Pathak said.

Launching another scathing attack on the BJP, Akhilesh Yadav on Monday alleged that its election manifesto was a rip-off of the Samajwadi party's.

Akhilesh also taunted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his monthly radio address 'Mann ki Baat' and warned people to be wary of people who do 'mann ki baat' as the 'mann' is 'chanchal' or daft.

"There's nothing new in the BJP manifesto. It was copied from ours. Whatever they wrote in the manifesto, we had already mentioned in our manifesto," Akhilesh said.

"Be cautious of people who do 'mann ki baat'. We have been told that people who do that know that 'mann' is 'chanchal'. The Samajwadi Party talks with the heart. So we have assigned daily doses of milk and ghee for the young girls and pressure cookers for women," Akhilesh added another sardonic remark.

The poll process in Uttar Pradesh begins on February 11. 73 constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will go polls in this phase.

The filing of nominations for these constituencies will end on January 24.

Uttar Pradesh is set to have a seven-phase polling between February 11 and March 8.