Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked voters in Uttar Pradesh to give “top priority” to the issue of law and order as he cited examples from Gujarat where he had headed the State government for many years to pitch a “riot-free” atmosphere under Yogi Adityanath for a second term. In a veiled appeal for communal unity, Mr. Modi also asked people to “stay united” and not allow their votes to be “divided” in the name of jati (caste) and sampradaya (sect or community).
The PM backed the return of not just the BJP government in U.P. but also that of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. “The entire U.P. and country knows that ‘ayegi toh BJP hi, ayenge toh Yogi hi’,” Mr. Modi said in Kannauj. Addressing a rally in the city known for potatoes and perfume, Mr. Modi said after the first phase of voting in western U.P., the 2022 U.P. election was no longer about who was coming to power but about how many more seats the BJP would win than the last time and form a full majority government again.
