Gorakhpur: Claiming that a win for caste-based politics meant a defeat for the development agenda, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday asked party workers to ensure victory for BJP candidates in the Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha bypolls.

Adityanath, who represented Gorakhpur in the Lok Sabha before he took over as the chief minister, was addressing party workers seeking to garner support for BJP nominee Upendra Shukla.

Casteism is no solution to any problem, the chief minister said. If caste-based politics wins, development will be defeated, he added.

“Development is ensured when people of the same ideology work at district level, state level and central level. Earlier the roads in Pipraich were in a pathetic condition, but since our party worker became the chairman, the condition has changed," he said, seeking to drive home his point.

“You made me win (from Gorakhpur) five times and every party worker worked for it," he said.

Adityanath also sought to put an end to rumours that the party candidate was not of his choice. “When I got the responsibility of the state, I thought that a person should come in my place, who could take the development work forward. We selected Upendra Shukla, as he is the right person. He was general secretary of district, and he always stood for the poor farmers and youth," Adityanath said.

He lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting Uttar Pradesh’s development. “PM Modi is interested in the development of the state and if we take one step, he takes 10 steps to ensure development. He laid foundation stone of AIIMS and we worked for closed sugar mills. Very soon Pipraich will get a sugarcane research centre and farmers will get five times yield. Power supply is 20-24 hours and we are purchasing wheat and rice at more than the support price," Adityanath said.

Taking a swipe at previous dispensations in the state, Adityanath said while they worked on selling sugarcane mills, his government was working to open closed mills.

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