Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

Implying a rift in the gathbandhan in UP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday alleged that the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress were deceiving BSP president Mayawati on the pretext of making her the PM, and that she had understood their “big game”. Questioning the SP’s “silence” on the Congress, he hinted at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s address to SP workers in Rae Bareli as a sign of the understanding between the two parties.

Addressing a rally in Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said, “It is now clear that the Samajwadi Party took benefit of Behen Mayawati through the alliance, acted in a cunning manner and kept her in the dark… They talked about giving her respect and even said that they will make her the prime minister. But, Behenji has understood that, behind the doors, the SP and Congress have played a big game.”

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Campaigning for BJP Pratapgarh candidate Sangam Lal Gupta, Modi said that “while Behenji is openly criticising the Congress, criticising the Naamdaars and their policies… under their own selfishness, those who made alliance with her… the Samajwadi Party… are mum on the issue of the Congress”.

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Earlier, Priyanka had said that in the seats that the Congress was weak in Uttar Pradesh, it had put up candidates who would help the SP-BSP gathbandhan by cutting into BJP votes.

Modi referred to this too at the rally, calling the Congress a “vote-katuwa”, and said that while earlier they used to fear Modi’s effect and aura, now they openly say that they cannot win as long as they are don’t put a stain on Modi’s “hard work, honesty and Bharat bhakti (love for country)”.

Without mentioning Priyanka’s address to SP workers or actor and Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha campaigning for his wife and SP Lucknow candidate Poonam Sinha, Modi said, “Congress leaders are happily sharing the dais at SP rallies. They have cheated Behenji in such a way that even she is unable to understand. This is the truth of Mahamilawati people.”

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The PM then went on to attack both Mayawati’s and the SP’s tenures in Uttar Pradesh, saying that if in the case of the former, neither ambulances nor the Taj Mahal were safe, under the SP, sand, other building materials and even faucets were not spared.

Accusing the Congress of harping on the acquisition of Rafale aircraft only to tarnish his image, Modi took a swipe at Rahul, saying, “Your father was termed ‘Mr Clean’ by his courtiers, but his life ended as ‘Bhrashtachari No. 1 (corrupt number 1)’.”

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Speaking at another rally, in Basti, Modi said the Congress, SP and BSP were the biggest examples of how principles are trampled for power, and that after the results, the two parties won’t even recognise each other.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who also addressed the rally in Pratapgarh, said that after May 23, “Bua (Mayawati)” will say “Babua (Akhilesh)” is “Gundon ka Sartaaj (leader of hooligans)”, while “Babua” will call “Bua” “bhrashtachar ki pratimurti (the image of corruption)”.

At another rally, in Ramnagar in West Champaran, Bihar, where Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan shared the dais with him, Modi said the Opposition had stopped thinking about PM position now and started fighting over who would be leader of Opposition.

The PM also said that in the name of the Congress’s NYAY scheme, fake Rs 72,000 cheques were being distributed in Rajasthan.

Senior BJP leader and Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh is contesting from East Champaran.

-with ENS, Patna

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