"Want Our 'JAM' Or Samajwadi Party 'JAM': Amit Shah Asks UP Before Polls

Uttar Pradesh votes for a new government next year, in an election that will be keenly observed given the state's importance in national polls, which are scheduled for 2024

Amit Shah - in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh on Saturday to lay the foundation stone for a university - took a flurry of swipes at Samajwadi Party boss Akhilesh Yadav and praised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Mr Shah's rally and comments were significant given UP votes in a few months.

The location (Azamgarh) was crucial too - it is Mr Yadav's constituency and the BJP was hammered here in 2019, losing by over 2.4 lakh votes, and beaten by over 26,000 votes in 2017.

A BJP leader has never won the Azamgarh Assembly seat, making this a huge prestige battle.