LUCKNOW: As poll fever peaks in western UP with first phase just a week away, the BJP has released its second list of its 40 star campaigners for the third and fourth phases of polls here on Thursday.
While party’s first list had surprised many as the names of established star campaigners including, L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, young and firebrand Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi and former state chief Vinay Katiyar were missing in it, the current list consists of all these names except Advani. Varun seems to have replaced mother and Union minister Maneka Gandhi in the second list which has party’s top brass including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah, veteran party leader and Kanpur MP Murli Manohar Joshi. Moreover, chief ministers Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan and Vasundra Raje of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, respectively, will also pitch in during the third and fourth phases of state polls to be held on February 19, 23 respectively.
On why Varun’s name was not there in the first list but has been included in second, BJP state secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak says that the party has a galaxy of star campaigners. “There is no dearth of strong leaders in our party. Everyone is campaigning and working for the party in the elections. Since there is an EC limit of 40 star campaigners for all parties, so we are rotating our campaigners phase-wise,” says Pathak.
“Joshi, Varun are MPs from Kanpur and Sultanpur and they enjoy a special appeal among the voters of central UP, so it will be good for the party if they campaign in central UP,” says a BJP leader.