My heart belongs to the cow and Ganga - Uma Bharti

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) star campaigner Uma Bharti on Friday clarified that she was not the party's chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh while adding that she was working for the poor and had come to the state as the Ganga flows through it.

"I am in UP to ensure BJP's performance. My heart belongs to the Ganga, the poor and the cow, wherever they are," Uma Bharti said in an interview to Rajdeep Sardesai.

Speaking on the Ayodhya Ram Mandir issue, Uma Bharti said, "Development work will continue. Ram Mandir's relevance will continue till the mandir is constructed there. But it's not an issue for me."

"I am not the BJP's CM candidate in UP, but I'm the chowkidar of BJP," Uma Bharti said while speaking to Rajdeep Sardesai.

She criticised Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, claiming that the Nehru-Gandhi family was self obsessed when asked about the Congress leader's comment at an election rally in Bundelkhand's Charkhari on Thursday that Uma Bharti had never done anything to develop the backward region.

"A BJP leader (Uma Bharti) has come from Madhya Pradesh. Where was she when farmers were dying in Bundelkhand? Now that elections are here she has come to you," Rahul had said.

Uma Bharti replied, "It's unfortunate the way Rahul Gandhi commented yesterday. I request the Nehru and Gandhi family to read about other people. I suggest him to read the newspapers."

Ruling out any differences with her party, Uma Bharti said, "Even when I was outside the BJP, they always considered me a part of it. The BJP is not a divided parivar. I do not see any resentment within the party."

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