Amit Shah gives Kalyan Singh credit for 2014, 2017 and 2019 wins

Union home minister Amit Shah invoked former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh's legacy in his first 'Jan Vishwas' (public trust) rally in Kasganj, which is dominated by backward castes and is known as Singh's 'karmabhoomi' (land where he worked). He said it would have been impossible to win the 2014, 2017 and 2019 elections without Singh's guidance, and asked people to score a "boundary" by propelling the BJP to a fourth consecutive victory in the 2022 assembly election.

Shah kicked off his Jan Vishwas yatras in the Braj region, a BJP stronghold. He paid an extended tribute to Singh, who belonged to the Lodh Rajput caste and played a major role in the Ram temple movement as the CM when the Babri Masjid was demolished in December 1992. Lodhs dominate the district, along with Shakyas and Yadavs, all of which are categorised as other backward castes. There is also a strong presence of Muslims in the district.

"Had Babuji not shown the path to me, then 2014, 2017 and 2019 were all impossible to win. It was Kalyan Singh who for the first time introduced the subject of good governance in UP, for the first time spoke about backwards and started an initiative to give backwards their rights," said Shah.