UP Poll: People joining SP do riots, people joining BJP catch rioters, says Anurag Thakur after former IPS officer Asim Arun joined saffron party

Taking a jibe at Samajwadi Party workers, Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said that "people joining SP do riots, people joining BJP catch rioters".

Taking a jibe at Samajwadi Party workers, Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said that "people joining SP do riots, people joining BJP catch rioters". Speaking to media persons in Lucknow today, Thakur said, "People joining SP do riots, people joining BJP catch rioters. SP MLAs are either in jail or on bail, that's their original game."

The Minister also said that it's clear people with clean characters join BJP, and rioters with blood-covered hands join SP. His remarks came when former IPS officer Asim Arun joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Lucknow on Sunday in his presence. Other party leaders were also present on the occasion.

Welcoming Asim Arun to the party, Anurag Thakur said, "A person who is experienced, honest and is ideal for the youngsters is joining the BJP today. I welcome Asim Arun.""BJP will move forward with his experience and more youths like him will join BJP," he added. "I am happy, satisfied, I have got a chance to serve the public. This decision was not easy for me as on one side, there was a job, on the other hand, there was an opportunity for public service," Asim Arun said while joining the party.

Meanwhile, BJP released its first list of 107 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh in which it denied tickets to 20 sitting MLAs and fielded 21 new candidates. The party has released the list for the first and second phase of elections scheduled to be held on February 10 and 14.

Keeping the caste arithmetic balanced and for gaining voters, BJP has fielded women on 10 seats, OBC candidates on 44 seats and scheduled castes (SC) candidates on 19 seats, accounting for 60 per cent of the total. Elections for the 403 Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10.

The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)

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