UP bypolls: Yogi hits campaign trail all guns blazing against SP, Congress

Hitting the Uttar Pradesh assembly by-election campaign trail to seek votes for the BJP-led NDA candidates, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday targeted the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress and coined a new slogan: “Jahan dikhe Sapayi, wahan bitiya ghabrayi” (Wherever the SP is seen, daughters feel afraid).”
He made this jab at the SP in his first joint election rally with Union minister and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary at Morna in Muzaffarnagar’s Meerapur constituency.
He also addressed rallies in Kundarki (Moradabad) and Ghaziabad, underscoring the BJP’s commitment to development and public safety. He sought support for NDA candidate Mithilesh Pal of the RLD (Meerapur), and BJP candidates Ramveer Singh Thakur (Kundarki) and Sanjeev Sharma (Ghaziabad). These three are among the nine Uttar Pradesh assembly seats for which by-polls will be held.
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At the Meerapur rally, he reiterated his stance against the SP as he accused it of fostering insecurity and hindering social harmony. He referenced the SP’s alleged role in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots and urged voters to reject the SP’s divisive politics.
He hinted that the SP, which allied with ‘Khatakhat-khatakhat’ (Congress) in the Lok Sabha elections, needs to be decisively defeated. Yogi urged people to vote for the NDA candidates, assuring them that the government would take full responsibility for development and security.
“We must extinguish their ‘gunpowder’ with ‘hand pump’ water,” he stated, urging the electorate to back Pal for accountability and justice. The hand pump is the RLD’s election symbol.
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In Kundarki, Yogi emphasised the importance of mutual respect in celebrating festivals, stressing that social harmony is a two-way street. He pointed out that the Election Commission extended the by-election date to accommodate a Hindu festival – Kartik Purnima on November 15– calling out the SP’s discomfort with the adjustment despite religious flexibility seen in other instances, like Eid. The bypolls, earlier scheduled for November 13, will now be held on November 20.
In Ghaziabad, Yogi questioned the SP’s and Congress’s silence on issues like the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly’s Article 370 resolution, contrasting their stance with sympathy often shown toward Palestine and Pakistan. The chief minister criticised the alliance between the SP and the Congress, suggesting it is already faltering and predicting that the by-election could mark the SP’s political end.
Adityanath highlighted the NDA government’s initiatives in Western UP, citing the decline in forced migration and improvement in farmers’ lives. He referenced the substantial support extended to sugarcane farmers, the empowerment of girls through a 20% reservation in police recruitments, and job opportunities awarded on merit, putting an end to alleged favoritism under the SP.
The chief minister also noted local development projects, such as the revitalization of Moradabad’s brass industry and infrastructure projects in Ghaziabad, including the Dudheshwar Temple Corridor and an AIIMS satellite center, aimed at enhancing healthcare access in Western UP.
“Keep a distance from SP’s goons,” Yogi urged, emphasizing his government’s dedication to social and economic growth and security for all communities. He encouraged voters to come out in record numbers to support BJP and NDA candidates, pledging continued progress and stability in UP.