Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh was an attempt to attract voters ahead of Assembly elections in the state, ANI reported.

“As the elections approach closer, more and more inaugurations, more and more foundation stone laying ceremonies are being done,” Yechury said.

On Tuesday morning, Modi inaugurated the 341 kilometres-long Purvanchal Expressway built at a cost of Rs 22,500 crores. The expressway starts from Chandsarai village in the district of Lucknow located on the Lucknow-Sultanpur road and ends at Haidaria village on National Highway 31 in Ghazipur district.

Yechury, however, said that the inauguration of the project showed desperation on part of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said that the BJP was “facing a great deal of discontent” in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Both states are scheduled to go to elections in February-March next year.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday alleged that the BJP-led government had compromised with the quality of construction of the Purvanchal Expressway project, IANS reported.

Yadav alleged that the specifications prescribed by the Indian Road Congress, the apex body of highway engineers in India, were not followed in construction of the expressway.