Lords on Modi lips .... The land of Krishna and Ram destroyed by the governments of the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the BSP- Modi

Modi at the rally in
Lakhimpur Kheri. (PTI)

Piyush Srivastava and J.P. Yadav, TT, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the land of Krishna and Ram had been destroyed by the governments of the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the BSP.

The subtle invocation of the figures of worship capped the campaigning for the second phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh, which covers several minority-dominated areas.

The BJP had deployed a controversial MP, the saffron-robed Yogi Adityanath, in the belt, fuelling speculation that the party was trying to consolidate Hindu votes against the backdrop of apprehensions that the first phase was an uphill climb.

BJP president Amit Shah's recent projection of Mayawati, and not the ruling Samajwadi Party, as the main rival in the state is also being viewed as a manifestation of the misgivings.

"The land of Krishna and Ram... what did they do to this land? There are good and hard-working people in the state. They work honestly wherever they go. But patronised by goons, the politics of the SP, the Congress and the BSP has destroyed the state," Modi told a rally in the Terai area of Lakhimpur Kheri city, 150km north of Lucknow.

Rahul Gandhi, who addressed a rally around 75km from the venue of Modi's meeting, said the BJP leader was betraying signs of nervousness. "The defeat of the BJP in this election can be seen on the face of Modi," the Congress vice-president said.

Modi, taking a swipe at the ruling Samajwadi Party's campaign slogan " Kaam Bolta Hai (the work speaks for itself)", said chain-snatchers and goons had taken over the state.

The BJP has been focusing on emotive issues and crimes in the second phase. Adityanath, who hails from eastern Uttar Pradesh and is known for delivering fiery speeches, was marshalled for the first time to address meetings in the western districts of the state as a star campaigner.

In previous elections, Adityanath's campaign had been limited to the eastern regions of the state. In the second phase, places with a significant minority population, such as Bijnor, Bareilly, Moradabad, Saharanpur and Amroha will go to the polls on Wednesday.

The decision to raise the pitch, BJP sources said, came in the wake of reports that Jats and traders had deserted the party in large numbers in the first phase.

"We are in the race in every seat but the surge is not similar to 2014. It has dipped. To what extent is not clear yet," a senior BJP leader said.

Other sources said Adityanath's campaign "worked well on the ground" and he could be used to address more election meetings than planned initially.

Like Modi, other BJP leaders are also laying stress on law order in Uttar Pradesh under chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, which they feel had been overshadowed by the feud in the Samajwadi Party and the alliance with the Congress.

The BJP today promised to undertake a "surgical strike" on criminals if the party came to power in the state.

"Once a BJP government is formed in the state a surgical strike would be undertaken on all the criminal elements within six months. All the criminals would either be put behind the bars or will not be seen in the state," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.