Lucknow: Claiming improved law and order in the state, Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna has said that the death of Mukhtar Ansari and killings of gangster-politicians Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf will not adversely impact the BJP in polls.
Speaking at an interactive function here on Wednesday evening, he responded to queries about whether the two incidents would lead to a polarisation of votes during the elections.
Khanna said stern action against gangsters and criminals would play a crucial role in the elections apart from the Union government's policies in the state.
He said: "This created a perception about Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a hard taskmaster that will help achieve our target of winning all 80 seats in the Lok Sabha polls."
"Politicians are going to the deceased gangster-politicians' houses to show solidarity and meeting their kin for petty political gains. But this will harm them. Such people do not get any public sympathy as every second person has been their victim one way or the other," the Minister emphasised.
Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari died due to cardiac arrest in Banda jail on March 28.
Gangster-politician brothers Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf were killed by three small-time shooters in Prayagraj in April last year.
IANS with edits