BJP mocks Gandhi family's campaign strategy in poll-bound UP

Lucknow, Feb 17 (ANI): With just two days left for the fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday lashed out at the campaign tactics used by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi to garner the support of the voters.

"The Congress Party has been actively campaigning for the election. The entire family is engaged in the same. However, they are the ruling party and opposition in Uttar Pradesh. Friends, the ruling party seeks votes for their achievements and the opposition demands it on some issues," senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj told the media here.

"But it is very unfortunate that the Congress Party has no such achievement on the basis of which they would seek votes," she added.

Swaraj further charged the Congress Party of creating unnecessary publicity stunts in order to make front-page news.

"Someone might have suggested that if Priyanka Gandhi would pinch the cheek of Sonia Gandhi while sitting on stage, then it would become a front page photograph. They did exactly that and their photo was printed on the front page of the local dailies. After that somebody might have told Rahul Gandhi to tear a paper while standing on the stage, then it would also become a front page photograph, so he had tore a paper saying that it contained a list of fake promises made by the Samajwadi Party and became front page news," said Swaraj.

"By enacting all these dramas, they might grab some space on the front page of the newspapers but they cannot get votes from the public by doing this," she added.

Charging the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) of making 'only promises', Rahul Gandhi had on Wednesday tore a piece of paper at an election meeting to drive home the point that 'mere lists' of assurances were of no use.

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

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