UP: Union minister Mahesh Sharma takes jibe at rival parties

He was asked by reporters that while all the other parties had named their chief ministerial candidates, who would the BJP project as its CM face in Uttar Pradesh.

“Which parties are you talking about,” Sharma shot back.

“In the Samajwadi Party, the moment a child is born, it is decided whether it would go on to become the president of the party, a minister or an MLA. It is a family-oriented party. Mayawati’s is a one-woman party. No one knows who is the number two person in her party. And as far as the Congress is concerned, it has now become a mother-son party,” he added.

Asserting that the BJP does not indulge in “family ties”, Sharma claimed that the party had “at least 20 faces” in the state, all of whom were capable of being projected as chief ministerial candidates.

“We will fight the Uttar Pradesh polls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development plank. We have at least 20 faces in the state to choose from. When the time comes, the central leadership of the party will decide on the chief ministerial candidate,” he said.

On the SP’s candidature of Atique Ahmed, a politician with a criminal background, from Kanpur Cantonment constituency, Sharma said it was “unfortunate for Uttar Pradesh” that “such people” were being given poll tickets.

Informing that stone-laying ceremonies of projects worth Rs 6 crore were performed, the Union minister said the Centre wanted to develop Kanpur as a hub of religious tourism.