UP polls 2022: Rajnath Singh to address 3 public meetings in state

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to address public meetings in three Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh in his day-long event on Sunday.

Singh is learnt to start his first public address from Hamirpur constituency followed by Rath and Mahoba.

"Today, February 6, I shall address election meetings at Hamirpur, Rath and Mahoba assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. Look forward to it," Rajnath Singh tweeted.

As the first of seven phases elections in Uttar Pradesh is slated on February 10, the Defence Minister is continuously addressing public gathering in different constituencies in the 403 member Assembly in the state as well as other poll-bound states of Punjab and Uttarakhand for nearly last one month.

While addressing three public gatherings in Uttar Pradesh's Baldev, Kheragarh and Agra in his day-long visit to the state on Saturday, the Defence Minister praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his action against criminals and creating fear in hurts of "mafias" (known criminals) and increasing economy of the state to 21 lakh crore from Rs 11 lakh crore during his five-year regime since 2017, putting the state at 2nd position in India in terms of economy.

Rajnath Singh on Saturday also hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his recent statement in Parliament, blaming the BJP-led government's foreign policy to bring China and Pakistan together.

Referring to a violent clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Ladakh's Galwan valley, the Defence Minister had said the Indian soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and even sacrificed their lives.

Taking a jibe at Gandhi over the number of casualties on the Chinese side, he had said, "It means you (Rahulji) will accept whatever Chinese mouthpiece Global Times says."

Singh referred to a report published in Australian newspaper "The Klaxon", which stated the possibility of 38-50 Chinese casualties.

Singh also said that, unlike other parties, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fulfilled all the promises that it made to the public.

The Minister informed how the BJP government abrogated Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and brought Citizenship Amendment Act for the reliably persecuted Indians residing in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Singh on Saturday also attacked Samajwadi Party accusing it of doing "politics of appeasement", and asserted that "only BJP can do development" in Uttar Pradesh.

Assembly Elections will be held over a total of seven phases for the five states. Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls in seven phases, Manipur in two, the rest in a single phase.

Goa, Uttarakhand, and Punjab will go for polls on February 14 in one phase, and Manipur from February 27.

The 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly is scheduled to go to polls in seven phases on February 10, February 14, February 20, February 23, February 27, March 3 and March 7. The counting of votes will be taken up on March 10.

Out of these five states going to polls in the coming months, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power in all the states except in Punjab, where the ruling party is Congress.

(ANI)

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