Mayawati 'communalising' UP elections: BJP

BJP also claimed that development is the main poll agenda of the party in UP

BJP on Sunday accused Mayawati of "communalising" the Uttar Pradesh election campaign after she made overtures to Muslims at a rally, and claimed development is the main poll agenda over which people will vote for the saffron outfit as both SP and BSP have failed on this count.

It also attacked the BSP supremo over her jibes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying she was practising low level politics and her comments reflected "mental bankruptcy and frustration" as her support base was shifting away from her while Modi's popularity was rising.

"She is a big zero on the politics of development. Now, she is communalising the state politics. But the poll agenda will remain development on which ruling SP, BSP and Congress have nothing to offer. For development, people will vote for BJP," its National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

He also asked her to refrain from speaking on the surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads across the LoC, saying there is a lot of enthusiasm among people over the army's action against terrorism and everybody was praising the soldiers.

Alleging that she is known for her "politics of money" practised in the name of Dalits, Sharma said people rejected her for this reason, besides her arrogance and wrong policies, in 2012 and will do so again in 2017.

He said, instead of questioning Modi's performance, Mayawati and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav should give account of their work and asked the BSP leader to target her "nephew", a reference to Yadav who often addresses her as "bua" (aunty).

"The Modi government will give account of its works in 2019. It has launched more than 80 schemes aimed at the welfare of the poor. The UP government has failed to execute them. In his two-and-a-half years of tenure, the Prime Minister's credibility has only grown due to his work which has brought India laurels from across the world," he said.

Alleging that minorities were facing bias under the Modi government, BSP Chief Mayawati earlier today cautioned Muslims that voting for Samajwadi Party or Congress will only help BJP and sought their support "to stop" the saffron party.

Muslims should not waste their vote as there is infighting in Samajwadi Party and Congress lacks a voter base in Uttar Pradesh, she told a rally in Lucknow on the occasion of party founder Kanshi Ram's 10th death anniversary.