Mathura (UP), Apr 21 (PTI) The Samajwadi Party is struggling to save its bastions of Mainpuri and Kannauj in the Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary said on Sunday and claimed that there is no impact of its alliance with the Congress.
The Congress virtually has no public support in the state. As a result, there is no impact of its alliance with the Samajwadi Party, he claimed.
Chaudhary, the minister for sugarcane development, said, “The Samajwadi Party is struggling to save its Mainpuri and Kannauj seats and it will be extremely difficult for the party to save those.” In Mainpuri, the BJP has fielded UP Minister Jaiveer Singh against Dimple Yadav, the incumbent MP and the wife of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Mainpuri goes to the polls in the third phase on May 7.
In Kannauj, which goes to the polls in the fourth phase on May 13, the BJP has fielded sitting MP Subrat Pathak. The Samajwadi Party is yet to announce its candidate from the seat.
Chaudhary further claimed that the BJP’s alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) will prevent the division of about 20 per cent Jat votes as more than 70 per cent people from the community have so far been voting for the saffron party.
The minister also asserted that the BJP will sweep western Uttar Pradesh, like it did in previous elections.
“In Mathura, Hema Malini will set a record for victory margin in the state,” he said.
The BJP’s Hema Malini is eyeing a third term in the Lok Sabha from Mathura.
Owing to the welfare programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the administration of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the BJP will register convincing victories in all 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Chaudhary admitted that while the poll battle will not be a cakewalk for the party in a few areas due to the caste factor, the BJP will ultimately win the elections on the back of the government’s welfare programmes.
The minister also lashed out at Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, saying, “Her latest trick to give tickets to Muslims is not going to work. I have visited three constituencies of western Uttar Pradesh but did not find any support for the BSP.” Chaudhary claimed the BJP will also get votes from Muslims after the Centre introduced a law criminalising triple talaq and other welfare programmes.
Mathura will vote in the second phase of polling on April 26, alongside Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr and Aligarh. PTI COR NAV SZM
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