UP Congress chief Raj Babbar. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)
Keeping the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in mind, both the BJP and the Congress have initiated grassroots outreach programmes across the state. While senior BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, are participating in ‘gram chaupals’ (public meetings in villages) in various districts to inform the public about Central and state government initiatives, the Congress has instructed its leaders to hold block-level meetings to “expose the BJP governments” and their “unkept promises, corruption”.
“The public contact programme of the BJP is a farce. At all these so-called chaupals, the CM is only making speeches and asking questions that he wants to (address). The public are not getting a chance to speak about their problems,” state Congress president Raj Babbar claimed.
Babbar said Congress leaders from secretaries to district presidents are holding block-level meetings to understand problems of people, and on the basis of these the party will release a detailed document to “expose” the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state. “Leaders have been asked to continue these meetings till June 25,” he said.
The BJP has set a target of reaching out to 13,500 sectors of the state through gram chaupals until June 15. Adityanath has addressed chaupals in Sultanganj block of Mainpuri, Sikandarpur Sarosi village of Unnao, Lahaurinagar village of Lakhimpur Kheri and Kasmanda village of Sitapur under the programme so far.
Rejecting Babbar’s allegations, BJP spokesperson Harish Srivatava said, “Things are becoming difficult for Congress, as BJP leaders visit villages to interact with people and know about their problems.”
Congress’s Amethi district unit president Yogendra Mishra said that party president Rahul Gandhi will be on a two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, Amethi, from Thursday.