UP polls: Amit Shah to address rally in Ayodhya today; visit to Ram Temple on agenda

Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and amid BJP's robust campaigning in the poll-bound state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to visit Ayodhya on December 31 to address a public rally at GIC ground under the Ayodhya Sadar Assembly seat. Sources informed that Shah will pay his visit to Shri Hanumangarhi Temple in the city and head to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Temple in Ayodhya. 

During the day, Shah will address a meeting with the public of rural Ayodhya, Bharatiya Janata Party's official Twitter handle stated. At 2 PM, the Union Home Minister is scheduled to conduct a public meeting at Sant Kabir Nagar in Gorakhpur. Following this, around dusk, Shah is set to commence a roadshow in Bareily and address an organisational conclave at 7 PM. 

UP Polls

In the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, BJP had won a whopping 312 seats in the 403-member House, whereas BSP could win only 19 seats. On the other hand, the SP-Congress alliance failed to bear fruit as it could win in only 54 constituencies.

While this was seen as a mandate for PM Modi as BJP had not declared any CM candidate, Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath was a surprise pick for the post. Though some BJP leaders made conflicting statements over Adityanath's future as the Chief Minister, PM Modi put rest to all speculations by lauding UP's governance model during his successive visits to the state.

The term of the incumbent government will expire on May 14, 2022. Before that, likely in the month of February-March, Uttar Pradesh will go for polls to elect 403 members of the Legislative Assembly.

Meanwhile, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav has embarked on a statewide tour as a part of his "Samajwadi Vijay Yatra" in a bid to stage a comeback in the state. Buoyed by the overwhelming public support during his election campaign, he has often predicted that SP will win 400 seats in the 2022 Assembly polls.

While Akhilesh Yadav has ruled out any alliance with Congress and BSP, he has announced a tie-up with Shivpal Yadav's PSP(L), Mahan Dal, OP Rajbhar's SBSP, RLD and the Apna Dal faction of Krishna Patel.