BJP will win 74 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 23 in Bengal: Amit Shah

Amit Shah claimed on Tuesday that he knew Uttar Pradesh better than the leaders of other parties, and that BJP would win over 74 seats in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The BJP president also challenged the incumbent chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, by claiming his party would win 23 seats in the state.

While launching the nationwide poll campaign 'Mera Parivar BJP ka Parivar Maha Abhiyan' from homeground in Ahmedabad, Shah addressed party cadres at Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay auditorium. He also unfurled the party flag at his residence in the city and asked party members to do the same.

"They (the opposition) are talking about Uttar Pradesh," he said, "I know UP better as I have travelled across the state during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the 2017 Assembly polls. I know the mood of the people and the strength of BJP cadres there. It will be 74 seats, increasing from 73 and will not decrease to 72. This time, the victory chariot will cross the states where BJP secured a majority, and enter West Bengal and Odisha too."

He went on to challenge Banerjee, saying, "Our workers have been tortured and killed in West Bengal, rallies have not been allowed and permission was not given to land the helicopter. Standing on this dais, I would like to say to Mamata Didi, BJP will not surrender to pressure, but emerge as stronger entity. I am sure people there are expecting change and BJP will win with more than 23 seats in Bengal."