This UP election is to end dynastic, caste-based politics, says Amit Shah in Amethi

Amethi: The ongoing Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh is to end dynastic and caste-based politics, BJP chief Amit Shah said on Thursday in Amethi, the pocket borough of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Targeting Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, he said that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party have entered into an "unholy alliance".

"Two families have entered into an unholy alliance. Initially, people were affected by one shahzada (prince), now it is two. One shahzada is giving pain to his mother, the other to his father," he said, attacking Rahul and Akhilesh, who had a bitter feud with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav over the control over SP.

He asked the voters to shun dynastic and caste-based politics, noting that everything in the state veered around one family.

"What has this family given you? There are problems for farmers while law and order machinery in the state has collapsed. There is acute shortage of water and medicines. What has this state government done for you?" he asked.

"For the past 50 years, only one family is running the affairs of Amethi. Even then, this place is languishing behind other districts in terms of development," he said.

Rahul represents Amethi in the Lok Sabha.

Reacting to Rahul seeking a performance report from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after two-and-a-half years in office, the BJP chief said, "We will give details of each and everything. But, tell me what has your family done for the country? People of Amethi are asking this question."

In a jibe at Rahul, he advised him to remove his "Italian curtains" to have a better vision of things, in an apparent reference to his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi's Italian origin.

The Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh is being held in seven phases.