LUCKNOW: The beleaguered BJP suffered another blow in the UP elections when the Election Commission denied permission to party’s star campaigner Uma Bharti to hold ‘parivartan yatra’ on Tuesday.
The stage was set to flag off the ‘yatra’ after speeches by Bharti and party national president Nitin Gadkari at 6.45 pm when the commission flashed its missive to the party leadership, pouring cold water on the spirit and enthusiastic mood. “I have received this information just now and would abide by the directions of the commission in this regard,” declared a crestfallen Bharti from the dais. When asked by this correspondent about her plans, she said: “I would only say that I would not violate any law.” The party had planned that by flagging off the ‘yatra’ it would formally launch its chief ministerial candidate Bharti as she was expected to tour the entire state and mobilise the voters in favour of the BJP.