New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the BJP will fight the forthcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and other states on the issues of development, and its focus will be jobs, peace, unity and social justice.
In an interview to CNN-News 18 news channel, Modi hoped that voters in Uttar Pradesh will vote on the issues of development and elect a full majority government.
"There will be elections in five states in coming days and Uttar Pradesh is one of them. As far as the BJP is concerned, we will fight on development issues only. Our focus will be welfare of farmers, villages, jobs for the youth and we will stay committed to the cause of social justice," Modi said.
"Our focus will be to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood in our country. We will take steps in these regard and move forward," he added.
The Prime Minister said there was "no atmosphere of vote-bank politics" in the last Lok Sabha elections and there was "an atmosphere of development politics".
He said an entire section of society has made a shift towards politics of development.
"After 30 years, a section of our society unitedly voted for a majority government. An entire section of our society has made a shift. It is possible that the people of UP will do a similar thing for betterment of UP, they will vote keeping development in mind," Modi said.
Elections are expected to be held early next year to assemblies of Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, besides in Uttar Pradesh.
Dedicated to welfare of Dalits: Modi
Modi said he is dedicated to the welfare of Dalits, and added that "those self-appointed guardians" who see this as an obstruction to their politics were creating hurdles and tension in the country.
"All those self-appointed guardians who were trying to create tension in the country did not like that Modi is with the Dalits... That Modi devotes himself to tribals. I am devoted to the welfare of all Dalits, oppressed, underprivileged and deprived," the Prime Minister said in the interview.
Those who see this as an obstruction to their politics are the ones creating trouble. And this is why they are levelling baseless allegations," the Prime Minister said.
Modi also said that "political tones" were being given to social problems.
"All those who have fed this country the poison of caste divide have destroyed this country. They must stop giving political tones to social problems. We must go forward with a purpose," he said.
Prime Minister Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government in the Centre have been targeted by opposition parties over the attack on Dalits by cow vigilantes in Gujarat in the name of cow protection.
