Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday urged people to vote for Samajwadi Party and defeat Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
"I urge you all to support Samajwadi Party and make them win, defeat BJP. Don't fall for false promises made by BJP," said Banerjee while addressing a press conference in Lucknow with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Launching an attack on the Yogi Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh government, Banerjee said, "History will never forgive those responsible for Hathras, Unnao incidents, and the bodies dumped in Ganga in UP during COVID-19."
"CM Yogi Adityanath, where were you when these things were happening? Yogi Ji must apologize to the people of Uttar Pradesh," she said.
Banerjee is on a visit to Uttar Pradesh to "support Akhilesh Yadav for upcoming state Assembly elections" that are scheduled to be held in seven phases beginning from February 10.
After the press conference, the TMC chief threw a football to the public, making an apparent reference to TMC's famous "Khela Hobe" slogan in the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls.
Earlier, Banerjee had informed that Trinamool Congress (TMC) will not contest the Uttar Pradesh elections but will field candidates in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
"In Uttar Pradesh, I am not going to contest Assembly polls but I am going to support Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav. We (TMC) will contest from Uttar Pardesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," she said, indicating her national ambitions for the next general elections.
The Trinamool Congress is seeking to increase its footprint nationally ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly is scheduled to go to the polls in seven phases on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3, and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)
