Amit Shah was earlier scheduled to participate in his first padyatra on foot for election in Meerut.
In Meerut, his first stop in a 2 km road show in Uttar Pradesh today, BJP chief Amit Shah offered lacerating criticism for the "princes of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party" who he accused of wanting to "destroy the fabric of UP and the country".
He was referring to UP chief minister
Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and his new partner Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who are holding a joint rally today in Agra about 240 km away. Both Meerut and Agra vote in the first phase of the UP assembly elections on February 11.
"Both chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his alliance partner must answer for the abysmal law and order in UP...They are not going to take this state on the path of progress...both have looted the country and now together they want to destroy UP," Amit Shah said in a short speech, adding, "Try the BJP this time."
He also attacked Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, saying the BJP, which has been out of power in UP for 15 years, must end the cyclical rule of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP to rescue UP. "We have to break the cycle of the SP and BSP being elected and bring the BJP into power so that there is no lawlessness and farmers' problems and safety issues are dealt with properly," the BJP chief said.
Mayawati is also in Western UP today, addressing a mega rally about 60 km away from Meerut in Muzaffarnagar, the epicentre of deadly riots in 2013. Months after the communal violence, the BJP had swept Uttar Pradesh in the national election winning 71 of 80 seats. It had won every Lok Sabha seat in Western UP, which its rivals attribute to a polarisation of votes.
Mr Shah was scheduled to participate in his first padyatra or journey on foot of the election in Meerut, but it was cancelled on advice of the police after a city trader's son was murdered allegedly by a gang of robbers last night. Mr Shah visited the businessman's home before leaving for his next rally in Pilkhuwa, about 45 km away.
Traders are seen as loyal BJP supporters but are unhappy after businesses were hit by November's notes ban. They also oppose the mega reform Goods and Services Tax or GST.