Mayawati terms Rahul Gandhi's poll claims as political gimmickry

Rae Bareilly, Feb 13 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has warned voters in Uttar Pradesh and Rae Bareilly in particular to beware of Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's claims of ushering development in the state in the next five years.

Mayawati said such political gimmicks of the Congress were a last gasp effort to garner votes.

"I especially urge you all to beware of the Congress party because in the past few days they have been making false claims that if they are elected to power they would remove the poverty and the unemployment from the state in the next five years. This is just a late gimmick to expand their vote bank," said Mayawati.

She also slammed the Congress party by stating that since coming into power in 2007, her state government had received zero financial assistance from the government to eradicate raging poverty in Uttar Pradesh.

"After coming to power in 2007 our party asked for an economic package of rupees 800 billion from the federal government to tackle the rampant poverty and unemployment in the state and for the development of Uttar Pradesh but we are yet to receive a single penny," Mayawati added.

She further criticized United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's economic policies that had failed to curb the rate of inflation in the country.

"It is because of some poor economic policies of the Congress party led UPA government that inflation has continued to rise in the country and has severely affected the poor and middle class section in this state. Also the central schemes to remove or decrease poverty have not tasted much success after many years. Such schemes have neither diminished poverty nor caused any substantial decrease in its rate," Mayawati said.

The Uttar Pradesh polls are being viewed as an opportunity for major parties to re-establish their foothold in the country's fifth largest and most populous state.

A new 403-member state assembly will be elected in March. The poll results will broadly indicate trends for the 2014 general elections. (ANI)