UP lives in fear under BJP rule as it is a party of dictators: Bhupesh Baghel

New Delhi, December 1

Uttar Pradesh lives in fear under the BJP rule as it is a party of dictators where voices of dissent are stifled, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said on Wednesday.

Baghel, who has been appointed senior observer for next year’s Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, claimed that the BJP had not fulfilled any poll promise, and is trying to divert people’s attention by making religious remarks.

“Congress is the only party in UP which is fighting against the ruling BJP. Two other opposition parties, the SP (Samajwadi Party) and BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) both appear to be compromised in favour of the BJP,” he told PTI in an interview.

Baghel said Uttar Pradesh Assembly election results would be very different from previous elections and might surprise poll pundits.

“It is a fact that Uttar Pradesh lives in fear under the BJP rule. If I can express my opinion in just one sentence, Uttar Pradesh is being ruled by the party of dictators, where the voice of dissent is punished,” he said.

The Chhattisgarh chief minister said the Centre’s decision to repeal the three contentious farm laws is a “political move” and farmers have lost faith in the Narendra Modi government.

“It is clearly visible that farmers have lost all their faith in the Modi government. Now, they don’t trust the BJP anymore. The political damage is permanent. The decision to take the laws back cannot make the BJP a farmer-friendly party,” he said.

“Of course, assembly elections in some crucial states, including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, were in the minds of the BJP leadership. It took them 12 months to reach this point. They didn’t have a choice,” he added.

This farmers’ agitation has proved that the roots of democracy are too deep for the BJP to understand, the senior Congress leader said.

Baghel said it is a fact that the Congress is not in power in Uttar Pradesh for the past 32 years but many things have changed in the last two years after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra started working in the state as the party’s general secretary in-charge.

“She is working very hard to reboot the party organisation at the ground level and is fighting for the people’s cause,” he said.

Rejecting voices against changes in the Congress leadership from within the party, Baghel said his party believes in democracy and not in dictatorship like the saffron party.

“As far as Rahulji’s leadership is concerned, he is the only opposition leader fighting a political battle against Narendra Modi. He is fearless and selfless at the same time. From corona to lockdown to China to farmers’ agitation, his political calculations and predictions have been proved absolutely correct,” he said.

Baghel said Rahul Gandhi would be proved right in the case of “Rafale deal” too. “Just wait for the time,” he said.

Baghel said the Congress party is up and active at the village level in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

“Our party cadre is now vocal at every level and working very hard. We had three major rallies in recent times, one in Varanasi which is the PM’s constituency, second in Gorakhpur which is the home district of the UP CM, and third in Bundelkhand. All three have been organised by our party workers. Many are surprised by the crowd and enthusiasm at these meetings,” he said. PTI