Yogi Adityanath took a swipe at the Congress, questioning the relevance of bearing the burden of a party that fails to ensure security and development.

Campaigning for the BJP in the Madhya Pradesh, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister made an appeal to the public to support the eight BJP candidates in the poll fray emphasizing the accomplishments of state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

He asked the gathering if they had come across any instance of extortion (vasooli) while traveling from Khajuraho to Lucknow with the people unanimously responding in the negative.

On the third day of his election campaign in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, CM Yogi Adityanath urged the voters to support Semaria MLA and BJP candidate KP Tripathi. Referring to the Deepotsav in Ayodhya, he asserted that in the Congress rule, such festivities and the construction of the Ram temple would not have been possible.

Accusing the Congress of failure in providing security and development, CM Yogi questioned the relevance of carrying the burden of such a party. He credited PM Modi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan with the development that transformed Madhya Pradesh from a BIMARU state to a developed one in the last 20 years.

He highlighted the historical alliance of the Kol community with Lord Ram during a crisis, accusing Congress of misleading various communities. Emphasising PM Modi’s inclusive development approach, he accused the grand old party of deception, stating that there was no need to give them importance.

Yogi Adityanath, campaigning for BJP candidates Arvind Pataria from Rajnagar and Dilip Ahirwar from Chandla, expressed satisfaction with the Municipal Council being named after Lavkush. He highlighted the shift in global perception towards India since 2014, noting the country’s emergence on a new path.

“Previously, headlines were dominated by infiltration in Ladakh, Kargil, Arunachal, and Kashmir, but today the focus is on teaching terrorists a lesson.”

With only one MLA for BSP and two for Congress out of 403 seats in UP, Yogi emphasised that the people of UP have understood them, advocating against letting the parties open their accounts in Madhya Pradesh. Khajuraho is a part of this assembly constituency. From here, the route to Lucknow via Jhansi is easy, he said.

“Now, extortion and hooliganism are nonexistent. A double engine government ensures security, good governance, and development. Before 2017, the mafia formed a parallel government in UP, but now they have disappeared. A new story of development is unfolding there.”

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a rally in support of BJP candidate Dr. Arvind Singh Bhadauria from the Ater assembly constituency and Narendra Singh Kushwaha, the candidate from Bhind. He remarked, “If you take them to Bhopal, they will bring you to Ayodhya.”

CM Yogi Adityanath reiterated his party’s commitment to fulfill the promise of bringing Ramlala and removing the structure of slavery, which has been accomplished. He also announced the date of January 22, 2024, for the grand installation of Maryada Purushottam Prabhu Shri Ram in his temple.

CM Yogi emphasised the importance of true companionship during times of crisis, contrasting it with the absence of Congress members during the COVID-19 pandemic. He pointed out that while the country faced challenges during the pandemic, “Bhai-behen ko Madhya Pradesh-Uttar Pradesh ki nahi, Nana-Nani ki yaad aati thi (During the pandemic, instead of remembering UP and MP, the brother sister duo remembered their maternal grandmother).”