Nitish effect: BJP to fight polls on development plank

Following the party’s good show in Bihar Assembly elections,the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has now planned to adopt Nitish brand of politics in Uttar Pradesh for its survival in the state. The party will highlight its success in forming governments and ensuring development of all the sections of the society in the states which share boundaries with UP. The task will start off with the forthcoming Gaon Chalo Abhiyan,where the BJP leaders will talk on how the schemes of BJP-JDU alliance in Bihar and other states have ensured better health and livelihood options for people.

Riding high on the success of the Bihar elections,the party is now looking at portraying itself as the most suitable party for Uttar Pradesh. And the Nitish model of development is the best tool for this purpose. Although political situations in Bihar are much different from UP,yet the party leaders believe the ground realities are similar. “During Lalu reign,Bihar was an epitome of Gundaraj. Now,crime has a new address — that is UP ruled by Mayawati. Also,money for development works in Bihar was used for personal benefits and in UP,money is being used for statues. Health services were poor and people died because of lack of medicines. In UP,thousands die every year because of diseases like Encephalitis. It is NDA policies which have brought development in Bihar. We want to tell the people that we will bring similar development in UP,too,” said BJP vice-president Mahendra Singh.

Singh added that the fact that BJP has done well in all the districts bordering Eastern UP will also help their cause. “Eastern UP is one of the most backward areas of UP and its geographical,social and economical conditions are same as Bihar. Our government in Bihar ensured overall development of all the classes and castes,and our policies and schemes reached out even to the disadvantaged and underprivileged people in the society. We will tell all this to people in UP,” said Singh.

Apart from Bihar model of politics,the party will also highlight the fact that most of the neighbouring states,which featured in the BIMARU list,have BJP governments and today are much higher on the development index when compared to UP.

“Look at states like Bihar,Jharkhand,Uttaranchal,Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. They all have NDA governments and have done really well. We will be telling the people that our government in UP will work for all the sections and focus on development and not casteism,” said BJP state president Surya Pratap Shahi.