Lucknow, Mar 13 (IANS): A war of words erupted between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged several prominent personalities to encourage people to come out and vote in large numbers.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was quick to take a dig at the Prime Minister. "Felt happy as the Prime Minister is appealing to the Grand Alliance for great change.

"I also appeal to the citizens to vote in high numbers and choose a new Prime Minister," Yadav wrote on Twitter attaching Modi's tweet in which he tagged leaders of the Opposition's Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance).

The tagged leaders included Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, as well as Presidents of the Congress Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress Mamata Banerjee, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Sharad Pawar, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Mayawati, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MK Stalin and Akhilesh.

Adityanath hit back at his predecessor with a series of tweets listing his government's achievements in the past two years. He said all the criminals had vanished from Uttar Pradesh and not a single riot has happened in the state during his tenure.

"If SP chief Akhilesh Yadav steps out of his house then only he shall know the reality of villages. If I would tell the truth then he would not be able to show his face," he wrote.