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As voting begins in the crucial and politically-bound Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday categorically stated that it is an election of nationalism and not nepotism.
"It is not an election of nepotism, but nationalism," BJP spokesperson Shrikant Sharma told ANI while casting his vote here.
Asserting that both the past governments, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) failed to provide good governance, Sharma said that people of the state now want change and development.
"Election is like a festival in a democracy. This is the election of change. This is not the BJP, but the election of the people of UP. People need change. They want good governance, development. People want freedom from Mafias. Crime, corruption should be eradicated. Mayawati and Akhilesh government failed in setting these things right. The basic needs of people have not been fulfilled here," he said.
Sharma also showed confidence in voters, saying that people will give a befitting reply to those who have resorted to votebank politics.
"Parties here have always resorted to votebank politics. People of UP are going to give them a befitting reply this time," he said.
Voting began in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on Saturday morning.
The election process will be held in 73 assembly constituencies spread across 15 districts of the state.
The most populous state of the country will today vote for 839 candidates at 26,823 polling stations.
