File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (AFP)
The BJP today said that it will go it alone in the 2017 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and not declare its Chief Ministerial candidate beforehand but seek votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The party's success in Lok Sabha elections was most spectacular in UP where we ended up bagging 71 out of the 78 seats we had contested.
"In such a situation, we do not think there would be the need to form an alliance with any other party in the Assembly polls", BJP national vice-president Om Mathur, who is also is the party's in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, told reporters in Lucknow.
Replying to queries on BJP's possible Chief Ministerial candidate Mr Mathur said, "it may not be needed. Our PM Narendra Modi's popularity is at its peak. We will apprise the people of UP about the special place their state occupies in his heart. We will remind them how, after winning from two constituencies in Lok Sabha polls, Modi gave up the seat in his own home state but retained Varanasi".
Defending the iftar parties being organised by the BJP and the RSS leaders, Mathur said "contrary to the allegations of our nervous political opponents, these are not electoral stunts. These are a part of our stated policy of "sabka saath sabka vikas".
Asked about the alleged inflamatory speeches made by a number of party leaders' against members of the Muslim community, Mathur said "nobody who is found guilty of going against the party line of sabka saath sabka vikas will be spared.
"Appropriate action would be taken against all such elements at the party level".
The BJP vice-president also attacked the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh, calling it "a failure on all fronts, though a pathetic law and order situation was the biggest cause for concern".
Asked about the FIR lodged in Lucknow yesterday by an IPS officer who has accused SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav of having threatened him over phone, Mathur quipped "this is too small an issue to comment on".