Sushma Swaraj says Mayawati has wasted public money on statues

Sitapur/ Ghazipur, Feb 6 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj has accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati of wasting Rs. 6 billion of the public's money in building parks and statues across the state to eulogize herself.

"In the name of development for under-developed people in Uttar Pradesh, its chief Mayawati has only constructed parks worth Rs. 6 billion where she installed her statues and wasted public money. The state is reeling under corruption, crime and such boisterous misuse of public money," Swaraj told a gathering here.

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav also accused Mayawati of being in competition with the Congress party to makeoney

"It seems that there is a competition underway between Mayawati and the Congress party when it comes to corruption. They both have indulging in high level corruption and lack vision," Yadav told a gathering in Ghazipur.

Last year, Mayawati had opened a 33-acre park in the name of B. R. Ambedkar in Noida.

The park, which was built from the government exchequer by spending Rs 650 crore has statues of elephants, B. R. Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and Mayawati.

The polls in Uttar Pradesh are being viewed as an opportunity for major parties to re-establish their foothold in the country's fifth largest and most populous state.

Polls in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted between February 8 and March 3. Counting will take place on March 6.

A new 403-member state assembly will be elected in March. The poll results will broadly indicate trends for the 2014 general elections. (ANI)