BJP inaugurating projects in UP as Lok Sabha election are near: Mayawati

Lucknow, July 14: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Purvanchal Expressway, and said that had the PM laid the foundation in 2014, he would have been instead inaugurating it.

"BJP govt has started inaugurating projects in UP only now when general elections are near. PM has laid the foundation stone of Purvanchal Expressway today. Had they done this in 2014 itself, then instead of laying foundation stone today he would've been inaugurating it," Mayawati said, reported news agency ANI.

Four-time chief minister of UP, Mayawati, said that the BJP was trying to gain political mileage by laying the foundation stone of the Purvanchal expressway and announcing the Bundelkhand and Gorakhpur expressway.

The Purvanchal Expressway, which is 340-km-long, will connect Lucknow with Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau, and Ghazipur.

Apart from increasing connectivity, the project will also give a boost to agriculture, commerce, tourism, and industries. The expressway is expected to cost Rs 23,000 crore and is likely to be completed in three years.