'UP me ka ba?': Bhojpuri singers at war in poll-bound UP

BJP MP Ravi Kishan and Bhojpuri singer Neha Singh Rathore, through their Bhojpuri songs, are in a different kind of electoral contest

While political players are slugging it out in the electoral battlefield in Uttar Pradesh, a different kind of contest is on between Bhojpuri film actor and BJP MP Ravi Kishan and Bhojpuri singer Neha Singh Rathore.

Ravi Kishan and Neha, through their Bhojpuri songs, have presented a contrasting image of UP. While Kishan's song, not surprisingly, says 'UP mein sab ba' (UP has everything), Neha says 'UP mein ka ba? (What has UP got?).

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Both songs have become viral on social media and are being shared in different groups depending on who one supports.

''Je kabbon na rahal ab ba....UP mein sab ba'' (UP has now what it never had), saffron-clad Ravi Kishan says in his song as he goes on to describe the 'network' of roads, development of infrastructure, action against mafia, setting up of AIIMS at Gorakhpur and other initiatives of the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state.

Soon after Kishan's song, which was released in the presence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, went viral, Neha responded with her own Bhojpuri song which questions the claims.

''Manti ke betua bada rangdar ba...kisanan ke chati pe raudant motorcar ba...ae chowkidar bola ke jimmedar ba'' (the son of the minister is very powerful, he crushed the farmers with his vehicle, tell us Chowkidar who is responsible), Neha says in her song apparently referring to the killing of four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, seeking answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Neha also talks about deaths during the second wave of coronavirus and floating bodies in the Ganga and seeks to know from Adityanath if UP has anything after all.

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