Good governance will bring Muslims closer to us: Shah

Mayawati could have an edge but BJP will win, he said.  He also dismissed the contention that controversial statements made by him and other party leaders led to polarisation of votes in the state, saying the elections have been contested on the issue of development and that has been the main agenda in all the seats.

He also said the Muzaffarnagar riots had little impact on the polls as “riots happened in one corner but we are winning in all corners of the state”.

Shah said the party gave tickets in all the seats based on the “winnability” factor while discounting suggestions that it did not put up a good fight in Rae Bareli and Amethi from where Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi contested respectively.

He said the party had decided to field Uma Bharti from Rae Bareli but it did not work.

Shah sought to defend Narendra Modi over the controversy that broke out over the ‘neechi jat' remark, saying the BJP's prime ministerial candidate had only reacted after Priyanka Gandhi's attack over his backward caste.