Bhupendra Chaudhary confident of BJP victory in UP MLC polls; defends Varanasi air show

Moradabad: Uttar Pradesh Minister Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary expressed confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning all seats in the MLC Teacher's constituency elections and said that the party has done good work on the ground level and that the people are happy with their work. He also said that the upcoming Varanasi air show is not a political stunt.

"Elections are being held today for Graduates' and Teachers' constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. Voting is underway in five Graduates' constituencies with eleven seats," Chaudhary said.

"The BJP has declared candidates for all the eleven seats. The BJP workers have done good work on the ground, and we have urged households to vote for the party."

Speaking to IANS, the Uttar Pradesh Minister said: "According to the early trends, people are excited, and a lot of people have reached the polling booths. Long queues can be seen."

"I can assure that people believe in the democratic institutions of the country," he added.

Reacting to the comments made by former Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief Ajay Rai's remarks about the air show scheduled in Varanasi, Chaudhary said, "The laser air show in Benaras is not a political stunt of the BJP. It is about the security of the nation. This is about protecting the nation. That is how we remain secure and protected."

"Congress has repeatedly shown recklessness about the security of the nation. This is not in the favour of the nation. Congress should understand the security concerns of the nation and avoid political statements on the matter," the Minister added.

Earlier, BJP MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar expressed confidence in the party's leadership at the state and regional levels.

The BJP MLA said that opposition leaders would have to reconsider their allegations if the BJP secured a victory despite their criticism.

He also claimed that allegations of EVM manipulation and vote theft amounted to an insult to the people who elected their representatives.

Polling began on Friday for 28 legislative Council seats across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra, with voters turning up at designated booths.

In Uttar Pradesh, polling is being held for five graduate and six teacher constituencies, while Bihar is having elections for four graduate and four teacher constituencies.