Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya has accused the previous Congress and Samajwadi Party governments of creating socio-economic imbalances in the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, by giving Muslims preferential treatment at the expense of Dalits, OBCs, and SC/ST communities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also criticized the Congress for its policy of “Musalmanon ka saath, Musalmanon ka vikas,” which, he says, has led to a depletion of resources for other communities.
Gautam Budh Nagar has emerged as the economic capital of Uttar Pradesh, driven by the development of Noida and the upcoming Jewar airport. The upcoming elections in the region will feature the incumbent BJP, led by Mahesh Sharma, facing challenges from the BSP, SP, and independent candidates. Key issues include the demands of farmers and land losers, delays in registry of flats, and ongoing development projects. Despite the challenges, BJP remains confident in retaining the seat due to its record of development and the presence of Rajput and Jat communities, who have traditionally supported the party.
An FIR has been registered against a Shahjahanpur resident, Satyaveer Singh, and Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate, Neeraj Maurya, for allegedly forging Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) nomination papers. Abid Ali, the official BSP candidate, filed a complaint alleging that Singh falsely claimed to be the BSP nominee by forging signatures and stamps on his papers. An investigation is underway, but no arrests have been made.
In a significant political development, Abu Azmi, the state president of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and an MLA from Maharashtra, is reportedly set to join the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Ajit Pawar. This move comes amidst speculations that Azmi is dissatisfied with the state leadership of the SP and has been holding meetings with NCP leaders. Sources claim that a senior BJP leader is mediating Azmi’s entry into the ruling alliance, which could potentially benefit the alliance by gaining minority votes in Mumbai.
