UP elections: Will BJP offer free electricity to counter SP?

Vibha Sharma
New Delhi, February 5

All eyes are on BJP’s election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh with the party expected to make major announcements on “free electricity” to counter rival Samajwadi Party’s promise of free 300 units. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who has promised 300 units free power to domestic consumers, has also said that his party will launch a door-to-door campaign to register domestic consumers for the benefit. 

The former chief minister has also promised free electricity for irrigation purposes. Notably, a similar promise of free electricity by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal earned his party major political benefits in Delhi. Though in the West Bengal elections last year, the BJP’s promise of free electricity of 200 units failed to make the desired impact for the party.

Meanwhile, according to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the BJP’s ‘Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra on February 6 will be on the issue of nationalism, development and good governance”.  Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari is also expected to launch the BJP’ manifesto for Goa in Panaji on Sunday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a virtual rally for the state.

Amid the expected exchange of charges between rivals, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today hit out at the Samajwadi Party accusing it of doing “politics of appeasement”. Addressing an election event in Mathura, he also mocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for relying on Chinese media rather than trusting the valour of Indian soldiers.

“Rahul Gandhi talked about the China-India clash in Galwan Valley, believed anything he read and said only three Chinese Jawans were killed. I would like to clarify, as per an Australia-based newspaper, 38-50 Chinese Jawans were killed, not 2-4. Indian borders are safe,” Singh was quoted as saying.

Yadav, who was in Aligarh today, claimed that people have decided to wipe out BJP in the first phase itself. Taking a dig at Adityanath, he also called him “Baba chief minister”.

 “Farmers had to stage protests for a year in order for the Centre to take back the three farm laws. As elections approached the states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the BJP repealed the black laws,” Yadav said, accusing BJP of “destroying” them. “The BJP is yet to give an explanation on why the three farm laws were rolled back if the party earlier called them beneficial for farmers,” Yadav said, claiming a “wind of change” in the favour of the coalition led by his party.