Lucknow: Amidst reports that BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi would contest the Lok Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh, BJP state incharge Amit Shah today said it was not yet decided.
“It’s not yet decided from where he (Modi) will contest. Whether he would contest from UP or not is still undecided…”, Shah told reporters in reply to a question.
On declaration of Lok Sabha candidates from UP, Shah said BJP would contest from all 80 seats and the ground work at the state level had been done and now the Parliamentary board would declare the candidates.
Asked whether the party considered Aam Aadmi Party as a challenge, Shah said BJP considered every opponent as a challenge and formulated its policies keeping all factors in mind.
“We take every opponent as a challenge…In democracy, everyone has the right to put forth their views and it is up to people to decide whom to select or elect,” he said.
Taking a potshot at the SP government, Shah said withdrawing cases lodged against a particular community in the Muzaffarnagar riots was “appeasement” and it should not be done by any government.
When asked about the party’s views on dynastic politics at a time when a number of wards of BJP leaders were vying for Lok Sabha tickets, Shah said BJP was not following dynastic politics.
“Congress follows dynastic politics..Can you imagine any Congress president other than from the Gandhi family? At the time we hear good news of birth of Rahul Gandhi’s child, the name of next Congress president is decided…This is dynastic politics, not followed by BJP,” he said.
Asked about a survey which showed a number of Lok Sabha seats going to AAP, Shah said he would not like to comment onit, but claimed that past surveys had not shown majority in favour of Modi, but he had formed government in previous polls.
He said the party would hold three rallies — January 23 at Gorakhpur, February 2 at Meerut and March 2 at Lucknow to be addressed by Narendra Modi. The Lucknow rally would be the largest and would be attended by 15 lakh persons, he said.
Highlighting the party’s decision at a meeting held here, Shah said from February 15 to March 15, meeting of Samajik Nyay Morcha would be held in all the districts, an apparent attempt to woo backward class ahead of Lok Sabha polls.
On measures taken by the party to shun criminal and corrupt persons from getting tickets, Shah said such persons were known and the party would not allow them.
