After being accorded a rousing welcome on his arrival in the state capital, newly-appointed state BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya gave a call for an Uttar Pradesh sans the SP and the BSP and stressed that the party would win 265 seats in the next Assembly polls.
“We have to get rid of caste-based and corrupt parties like the BSP and the SP. Unless they are thrown out, the state cannot progress. The onus is now on the BJP to provide succour to the people of UP. We should ensure that we will win the next Assembly polls with a landslide margin,” said Maurya while addressing workers at the party office in lucknow on Monday.
The new BJP chief said that the party would replicate its 2014 success in the 2017 Assembly polls. “We will repeat our 2014 lok Sabha polls performance in the next Assembly elections. People have had enough of these regional parties and they want a change. This time BJP will win not less than 265 seats and will form its own government,” said the new incumbent.
Earlier, the new BJP president was given a rousing welcome when he reached lucknow’s Charbagh station. People with garlands and bouquets jostled with each other to have a glimpse of the newly-appointed party chief. The workers shouted ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ as Maurya waved to the people.
He was taken to party office in a motorcade of over 100 cars throwing traffic on Station Road and Vidhan Sabha Marg out of gear.
Starting his speech by chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ thrice, Keshav Prasad Maurya said that people talked about his criminal background but they were all political cases. Congratulating Maurya on his elevation, outgoing state BJP chief laxmi Kant Bajpai promised all help to the new party chief.
A BJP MP from Phulpur seat in Allahabad, Maurya said that with the support of workers and people, the party would get absolute majority in the UP polls. “Only BJP can ameliorate the grievances of the people,” he said.
Hitting out at the Akhilesh Yadav government, Maurya said that the law and order situation in the state was very bad. “The farmers are bearing the brunt because of the government’s insensitivity. Farmers in Bundelkhand are forced to commit suicide. The Union government has handed out a Bundelkhand package of Rs 15,500 crore to UP but the government has so far failed to utilise that the fund, “ said the new state BJP chief.
“The BJP is the only party which talks about the poor and the downtrodden. It is a party where every worker is attached due importance. It is not like the Samajwadi Party where only one family (parivar) is important and the rest are pushed to the margins,” he pointed out.
To buttress his point, Maurya referred to Narendra Modi saying that despite his humble beginning, he rose to the post of Prime Minister which was possible only in the BJP.
“Take my instance, from where did I start and where do I stand todayIJ It is possible because the BJP honours every worker. This is the time we should forget all differences and work unitedly under the banner of ‘Kamal’ (lotus),” he added.
The new state BJP chief also coined a slogan: “Sabko jao bhul, yaad rakho Narendra Modi aur Kamal ka phool” (Forget every one, only remember Modi and the lotus).
“I never imagined I will be given such an important assignment. I am a dedicated soldier of the party. I will try to eradicate ‘goondaraj’ prevailing in the Akhilesh Yadav government. For actualising this, I need help from each and every worker,” he said.
Union ministers Santosh Gangwar, Mahesh Sharma, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Katiyar were also present.