BJP will win Uttar Pradesh by huge majority; no decision yet on CM face: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Thursday asserted his party will capture power in Uttar Pradesh "with huge majority" in the next round of Assembly elections scheduled for early next year where its main challenger would be the ruling Samajwadi Party. "I won't be able to give a definite number. But we will win by a huge majority. The magic figure is 203; we will go much beyond that," Shah said in an interview with the Economic Times. Asked about Rajnath Singh as an obvious choice for party's face in upcoming UP elections, Shah said it had not been decided yet whether to name a chief ministerial candidate for the state. "Nothing is decided yet. We have to first decide whether we will announce a CM face," Shah said. Shah, who led party to victory in several states but under whom BJP suffered massive losses in Delhi and Bihar, chose not to comment on the survey by ABP News and Lokniti CSDS that predicted a hung Assembly in UP, with the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) likely to win most seats. "I don't want to comment on any survey. But take it from me; we will win by a huge margin," he said. Asked about the party's election agenda for Uttar Pradesh, Shah said development of the state would be the top priority. Taking a jibe at SP, Shah said that the UP government has failed on all counts. He said that development of the state would be possible under a BJP rule. "UP is the largest state and from the point of view of development it is one of the laggards. The time has come for UP to get a government that focuses on development," Shah told ET.