Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday blamed “mafia rule and fanaticism” as well as “dynasty politics” for the backwardness of Azamgarh, a former Samajwadi Party hub with a sizeable Muslim population that the BJP once described as a “breeding ground for terrorists”.

Addressing a rally in the district-cum-constituency, where the Samajwadis have fielded party president Akhilesh Yadav, Modi portrayed the BJP as the sole hope for development of the region.

“The people (of Azamgarh) have seen the danger of mafia rule and fanaticism, and they are now also witnessing the rule of law,” the Prime Minister said.

He seemed to be alluding to Mukhtar Ansari, a party-hopping don from neighbouring Mau district who is serving a life term for murder. Ansari, a former MLA considered close to the Samajwadis, is accused of involvement in communal violence.

Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Manduri airport in Azamgarh, and several new airport terminals in Delhi, Aligarh, Moradabad, Chitrakoot, Shravasti and other places via remote control from Azamgarh.

“Aligarh, Moradabad, Chitrakoot and Sravasti were once considered backward cities that nobody cared about. But air services have now started for these cities because of fast development there. Industrial activities are expanding there,” he told the rally, his first in Uttar Pradesh since the announcement of the BJP’s first list of candidates for the general election.

“Small cities too are entitled to good airports and good highways. Fast urbanisation, which is going on now, should have been done 30 years ago,” Modi added.

“Today, we also inaugurated or laid the foundation stones for many railway projects in Shahjahanpur, Ghazipur, Prayagraj, Azamgarh and many other cities. I also laid the foundations for many highways today.”

Targeting Akhilesh without naming him, Modi said: “Such development was impossible when there was a parivarwadi (dynastic) and corrupt government. Azamgarh in particular, and eastern Uttar Pradesh in general, not only lagged in development but had a tarnished image. The entire country saw how previous governments patronised terrorism and muscle power.”

Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has been chief minister three times and his son Akhilesh once.

Many youths from Azamgarh are in jail on terror charges. The BJP had dubbed the district a “breeding ground for terrorists” in 2014, when Modi first contested from neighbouring Varanasi and became Prime Minister.

Modi claimed his government was working to give better education opportunities to the youths of Azamgarh.

The BJP has fielded sitting MP Dinesh Lal Yadav, a Bhojpuri film actor, from Azamgarh against Akhilesh. Dinesh had defeated Samajwadi candidate Dhamendra Yadav by about 8,000 votes in a by-election in 2022.

Mulayam had won from Azamgarh in 2014 and Akhilesh in 2019. Akhilesh later resigned to retain his Assembly membership and fielded cousin Dharmendra in the by-election.