Lucknow: As Uttar Pradesh voters voted in the third phase of Assembly elections on Wednesday, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi kept up his attack on Chief Minister Mayawati and alleged that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader did not mingle with the common man and her rule has been marked by corruption.
Addressing a rally in Lucknow, Gandhi said his party was committed to development unlike rivals including the Samajwadi Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling BSP.
Gandhi, who has addressed 140 rallies so far during his Uttar Pradesh campaign, said the state was going backwards while the country was marching ahead.
"The pace with which Hindustan is moving ahead, Uttar Pradesh is going back at the same rate," Gandhi said.
He urged people to visit the Congress-ruled states to feel the change coming about in the lives of people due to development.
Driving home his point about people being forced to migrate due to lack of employment opportunities in Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi highlighted the contribution of migrants from the state. He said the Metro in Delhi was constructed by workers from Uttar Pradesh and they also played a vital role in agriculture in Punjab and Haryana.
Gandhi said though the Metro was constructed by workers from Uttar Pradesh, they did not travel by it.
"He (the worker) eats half a meal but keeps working. He falls sick but works and one day passes away," Gandhi said.
Hitting out at Mayawati, Gandhi said, "Your leaders do not come to you. They do not talk to you ... How can they talk of development."
Attacking the BJP and the Samajwadi Party, which have ruled the state over the past 22 years apart from the BSP, Gandhi said these parties also had not worked for people.
"The BJP came (to power) four times. It did nothing. It took name of Lord Ram but did nothing. The Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party came and sought votes on caste. They did nothing," Gandhi said.
"Governments come, they indulge in theft and go," Gandhi added.
Voting will be held in Lucknow Feb 19 in the fourth phase of poll that shall cover 56 constituencies. The seven-phased poll in Uttar Pradesh ends March 3. The results would be out March 6.
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