New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS): Attacking Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Wednesday said that Akhilesh is scared of fighting the state assembly polls.

The BJP in its very first list had announced that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will fight from saffron party's stronghold Gorakhpur Urban, but Akhilesh is scared of contesting the polls.

Talking to mediapersons at party headquarters in the national capital, Maurya, taking a swipe at Akhilesh, said a person, who has been trying to put his sticker on the work done by the BJP government, is scared of contesting polls.

Akhilesh is not having the courage to contest from the constituency in the state where he claims of development works done by his government.

In a big blow to the SP, Aparna Yadav, married to Akhilesh's brother, joined the BJP earlier in the day.

Taking a potshot at SP chief on the development, Maurya said Akhilesh had failed on all fronts, be it family, as a chief minister or as a Member of Parliament.

Earlier, Maurya tweeted in hindi, "Akhilesh is scared of contesting assemply elections. He took so long to choose a place to contest from. He is scared of contesting from the land of development. Akhilesh ji, first tell me which place was developed most during 2012 to 2017. You cannot compete the development done by the BJP."

On January 15, the BJP, while releasing the first list of candidates, had announced candidature of Adityanath and Maurya from Gorakhpur Urban and Sirathu constituencies respectively.