'Priyanka Gandhi is ‘Twitter Vadra’, Congress not an opposition': UP Deputy CM Maurya

Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, BJP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has stepped up the attack against the opposition parties including Congress and mocked UP’s election face for the grand-old party, AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as ‘Twitter Vadra,’ and refused to see the party as opposition in the state.

UP Deputy CM mocks Congress, claims will struggle to retain present 7 seats

While speaking to news agency PTI, Maurya slammed Congress and mocked them that they will struggle to retain even the 7 seats that they managed to win in the last elections. “The Congress does not exist in UP. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, they got two MPs from UP and in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, it was further reduced to one MP. Similarly, in the 2017 UP Assembly elections, the Congress got seven seats and in the 2022 polls, if it manages to repeat the figure of seven, then it will be a big achievement,” he said. 

Priyanka Vadra is ‘Twitter Vadra’, only media considers her opposition: Maurya

On the question of whether Priyanka Vadra will pose a strong opposition to BJP, he said “I think only media persons are seeing her more in the role of an opposition. I call Priyanka Gandhi Vadraji as Twitter Vadra. I don’t think that barring those interested in getting their photographs clicked, there is anyone in Congress. Yes, they have expertise in getting their photographs clicked, be it Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi or any other leader of the Congress. In the race of getting their photos clicked they are ahead of the SP and the BSP. But, these three parties have failed to make any place in public’s heart,” he claimed.

Cornering SP and BSP as well while furthering his attack, Maurya went on to add that they will not perform better than last elections, people of Uttar Pradesh have seen their regime of corruption, crime and casteism and they will never forget that.  “Almost the same is the condition of the SP and the BSP, whose tenure people have not forgotten, and will never forget as corruption, crime, encouragement to mafia, casteism and appeasement dominated,” Maurya said to PTI.

In the previous elections, the SP won 47 seats out of 403, while Mayawati's party only got 19 seats. Even though both parties are concerned about backwards, Dalits, and higher castes, Keshav Prasad Maurya asserted that they are not well-wishers of anyone. "All they care about is gaining power, exploiting people, and filling their pockets with public funds," Maurya claimed.

Central leadership will decide CM face: Keshav Prasad Maurya

Maurya, who played an effective role in mobilising the non-Yadav OBC votes in the 2017 elections, and was in consideration of being the Chief Minister, gave an evasive response when asked about who will be the Chief Minister face in the upcoming elections. He pleasantly dodged the question and said that the party high command will decide the CM face along with MLAs.

“Who am I to decide this. We have our central leadership. The central observers come and the leader of the legislative party is elected by newly-elected MLAs in the presence of central observers.” “At present, respected Yogi Adityanathji is our chief minister, and Yogiji and we are making efforts to ensure victory for the BJP in the UP elections,” he added.

With PTI Inputs

Image:  ANI/ PTI