"Akhilesh was talking about winning over 400 seats, but he will only get 40," Mr Maurya said. (File)
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party Keshav Prasad Maurya took a dig at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav saying his party and criminals have an old relationship.
"Samajwadi Party and criminals have an old relationship. That is why, in 2014 general elections in UP, people voted against the Akhilesh Yadav. In 2017 assembly elections, people uprooted the SP government. In the 2019 general elections, the Opposition including SP, BSP, Lok Dal, Congress united but we still won. The difference is clear among the people of UP that they have to support BJP," Mr Maurya said when asked to comment on the SP candidate from Hasanpur in Amroha challenged the police to file a case against him and bragged that he has been to jail 16 times earlier as well.
In a viral video, Samajwadi Party candidate from Hasanpur in Amroha, Mukhiya Gurjar had said, "Prashasan ki aisi ki taisi...16 baar jail ja chuka hoon (To hell with the administration. I have been to jail 16 times)."
Showing support to the remark made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Mr Yadav not being able to provide electricity during his tenure and now promising it to give for free, Mr Maurya said, "People of Uttar Pradesh laugh at Akhilesh Yadav today. During Yadav's tenure, people used to dry clothes on the electricity wires because they knew they will not be provided electricity. Now, when he promises to give freebies, people think it is a joke and they laugh at him."
In the run-up to the elections, Mr Yadav had earlier promised to provide 300 units of free electricity to households and free power to farmers for irrigation if voted to power in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
Lauding the efforts of the BJP, Mr Maurya said that the party has worked towards preventing the theft of electricity and providing it at a cheaper rate, with which the people of Uttar Pradesh are satisfied.
Alleging that Mr Yadav did not do anything during his tenure, Mr Maurya said, "Now he is promising various things to people. Akhilesh was talking about winning over 400 seats, but he will only get 40."
On the interaction of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with the students who were allegedly beaten up by police in Prayagraj, Mr Maurya said, "Opposition must not involve in politics on the issues of students. We have done an investigation."
Students held demonstrations and blocked railway track in Prayagraj on Tuesday against alleged discrepancies in the results of Railway NTPC exams. Police allegedly mishandled the protesting students by police in Prayagraj.
Elections for the 403 Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)