Prime Minister Narenadra Modi on Monday said India would progress only after Uttar Pradesh’s fortune changed. The prime minister was speaking at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Parivartan rally in Lucknow, ahead of the 2017 state Assembly elections.

He said the state had not seen any development in the past 14 years, since the saffron party’s government in the state was dissolved in 1992 after the Babri Masjid demolition. He said the ruling party in the state was not concerned about the well-being of the people. Modi took pot shots at the Opposition parties in the state – the Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and the ruling Samajwadi Party. “They say remove Modi, I say remove black money,” he said referring to opposition’s attacks on the Centre’s demonetisation move.

In a veiled attack, Modi said one party had been trying to launch a leader for the past 15 years, though unsuccessfully. He was referring to the Congress, whose vice president Rahul Gandhi fought the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, which is also considered one of the Congress’ bastions. Modi also took a dig at the Mayawati-led BSP, saying that some parties in the state were more occupied with how and where to hide their wealth. Though the prime minister did not mention the SP, he said that the other party in the state was too involved in family feuds to do anything else.

The prime minister urged the people of the state to vote for development and not on the basis of caste or creed. He also stressed that the people of the country were the high command for his party because they are answerable to none other than the citizens of India.

The state’s elections are likely to be held in February or March. Uttar Pradesh has the country’s most Assembly seats – 404.