Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls: As BJP targets Jayant Chaudhary for not casting vote, RLD chief takes U-turn

RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary had earlier said that he might miss out on voting due to his scheduled public rally with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Bijnor.

New Delhi: After facing flak for not voting in the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh election, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary on Thursday (February 10) backtracked and said he will try to cast his vote in Mathura, ANI reported. 

He had earlier said that he might miss out on voting due to election rallies. Jayant Chaudhary was scheduled to address a public rally with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Bijnor.  "I`m a voter of Mathura. Right now, we`re in Bijnor as there is just two days` time for campaigning between the first and second rounds of UP polls. My wife voted in the morning itself. After campaigning ends here, I`ll try to vote at booths open till 6 pm," the RLD chief told ANI.

In the morning, Chaudhary had appealed to voters to come out in large numbers to cast their votes to elect a government that will fulfil their aspirations.

Meanwhile, BJP president JP Nadda took a dig at Chaudhary for not voting. “Today, a leader (RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary) did not cast his vote. It shows their dynastic arrogance. The power of democracy gives answers to such people,” the news agency quoted him as saying. 

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala also attacked Chaudhary and asked if he does not believe RLD will win. "Voting is not only a right but the foremost duty of every citizen especially someone who leads a party. Jayant Chaudhary not casting his vote sends out a message that he doesn`t care & nor does he believe that RLD will win. When he has given up, why will people vote for his party? he questioned. 

The first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh is underway in 58 Assembly seats, covering 11 districts of the state. The voting, which began at 7 am, will conclude at 6 pm today.

(With agency inputs)