BJP may get more than 350 seats in next UP assembly polls: Pankaj Singh

Claiming the BJP to be in a “strong position” a year ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the party’s state unit vice-president Pankaj Singh Saturday said his party is eyeing 350-plus seats in the next assembly polls.

"The feedback, which we are getting from the ground, suggests that the party is in a strong position. The party will emerge victorious not only in the panchayat elections but will also register a historic win in the 2022 UP assembly elections," Singh told PTI. The party is "eyeing 350-plus seats", said Singh, the son of Defence minister Rajnath Singh, in reply to a question on the possible number of seats that the BJP may get after the UP assembly elections.

Singh attributed the BJP’s bright poll prospect to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath work.

Read: BJP would divide Uttar Pradesh into four parts, alleges BSP MP

"People in the state have reposed their faith in the UP government led by Chief Minister Adityanath,” he said. “The state budget which was recently tabled in the assembly is not only bigger but is also holistic and all-inclusive," he added.

Singh said earlier when the party used to speak about 300-plus seats, people used to attribute it to party workers’ "over-enthusiasm", but now they find it possible and “rather natural”. “A large number of welfare programmes have been implemented, and with such credibility, we will increase our seats as well as votes," the UP BJP vice-president said.

Talking of the party electoral strategy for the upcoming panchayat elections, Singh said “for the three-tier panchayat elections, the BJP has framed a 'chaupal' programme to reach out to people in more than 58,000 villages” “

Senior party office bearers and those in government are participating in the chaupal, which was kicked off on Thursday," he added. UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh kicked off the 'Gram Chaupal Abhiyaan' (campaign) on Thursday from Lucknow's Gangaganj village. The campaign will continue till March 18.

Read: Akhilesh Yadav targets Yogi Adityanath, says due not given to SP regime for works

Asked about Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s consistent attack on the state government on different issues, Pankaj Singh said they appear to have become habitual of raising questions over whatever decisions the state government takes in peoples interest.

“When the entire world has been acknowledging India's role in anti-COVID vaccination, the SP leaders have been making baseless remarks. I think their credibility has been completely eroded and the public understands this," said Singh

"A political party cannot survive if its credibility is lost,” said Singh, asking SP leaders to save their party’s credibility.

Taking a dig at the Congress and SP, Singh said the two parties might have excelled in using Twitter and Facebook, but the ground level politics cannot be practised on social media.

"Politics in the country cannot be done on Twitter and Facebook. The Congress and SP should understand that the people want those political parties which stand by them." "When it comes to moving along with people and farmers and stand by them, understanding their pain and redressing their woes, only the BJP can do it," he said.