BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday claimed that his party was the only one in the country to allow inner-party democracy. He also slammed other parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the BSP. "There are over 1,600 registered parties in the country. But other than for the BJP, none of them have internal democracy," he said.

Speaking at an 'Intellectual Meet' in Lucknow, on the second day of his visit, Shah said no one can name who will be the next BJP president after him. "Even a small party worker having talent and calibre can rise to the highest level in the BJP," he said adding the same, unfortunately, is not the case with other political parties in the country.

"In Congress, everyone knows that Rahul will become the next party president after Sonia Gandi. Same is the case with the Samajwadi Party, BSP and other political parties. There is no hope and future for talent to grow in these parties. Lack of internal democracy promotes nepotism, corruption and is detrimental to the development and growth of the country," he pointed out.

"BJP is a party with total internal democracy. It is the internal democracy which has allowed the BJP to grow at national level. We are determined to maintain it at any cost. Dissent and differences within the parameters of discipline help any organisation to grow," said Shah.

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, Shah said that parties who are done away with internal democracy will be reduced to rubble. "BJP has always pursued principled politics since Jana Sangh days. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has become the fastest growing economy in the world," he said.

He assured people of the state that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will take Uttar Pradesh to a new heights in next five years by his development-oriented policies. "We will erase corruption from the country. In 2019, we will go to the polls with the list of promises fulfilled by the BJP-ruled governments rather than a new Sankalp Patra," he said.

Earlier, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attributed party's tremendous performance in Uttar Pradesh to Shah and lauded him for BJP meteoric rise and success.