Ghazipur, Nov 29 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Monday asserted that none of the opposition parties is in a position to contest the upcoming state assembly elections alone against the BJP and that is why they are stitching up alliances.

Speaking at a programme here to mark the death anniversary of former BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, Sharma said unlike the previous governments who worked for their families, the BJP dispensation works for the people.

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Rai, the then BJP MLA from Mohammadabad Assembly constituency here, was shot dead on November 29, 2005. A group of criminals armed with AK-47 rifles had fired more than 400 rounds on Rai's cavalcade on a narrow bridge, killing him and six others.

"None of the (rival) political parties is in a position to contest (elections alone) against the BJP, and hence various alliances are being stitched up," Sharma said.

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"The mafias, who were silent till now, are trying to raise their heads as elections are approaching. These forces have to be given a befitting reply and they should not be allowed to succeed.

"For this, votes have to be cast in favour of the BJP in the 'mahayagya' of democracy. This will change the direction and condition of the state and the country. The opposition has been making false promises to the people to win elections," he said.

Last week, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav met Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary, AAP leader Sanjay Singh and Apna Dal (K) chief Krishna Patel in the run-up to the assembly polls. After the separate meetings, Patel said a tie-up with the SP has been "finalised", while Singh indicated that the talks have begun.

Om Prakash Rajbhar's Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), Sanjay Chauhan's Janwadi Party (Socialist) and Keshav Dev Maurya's Mahan Dal are already with the SP, campaigning to make Yadav the state's next chief minister.

Drawing a contrast between the BJP-led state government and the previous governments, Sharma said, "The governments of other parties used to work for their families, while the BJP government works for the people."

"The previous governments have given only crime and criminals to Ghazipur. During their regime, the pious land of seers was deprived of development. The current government has given facilities of education, health, medical college and a four-lane road to Ghazipur," he said.

"Crime was rampant here under the previous governments but the people do not want that Ghazipur," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections will be held early next year.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)