LUCKNOW: "Gujarat mein Modi chhe…", the Gujarati- Bhojpuri mix rap released by Gorakhpur MP and popular Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishen in his own voice has been doing rounds on social media platforms setting the tone for a robust campaign by UP BJP leaders in the poll-bound state in the days to come.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath commenced his series of poll rallies by addressing three in Morbi, Bharuch and Surat on Friday. In fact, the party's central leadership has entrusted around 64 assembly segments across 16 districts to the UP unit to firm up support in the upcoming assembly elections as those seats have a respectable chunk of voters who hail from eastern UP.
The saffron brigade has roped in Bhojpuri film stars-turned-politicians like North East Delhi MP Manoj Tewari and Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan to campaign in districts like Ahmedabad and Surat.
"Their presence will resonate well with the settlers from Purvanchal," said a senior BJP leader campaigning in Gujarat. He said a good number of people from the belt between Jaunpur to Mirzapur stay in Gujarat.
Even CM Yogi, an MLA from Gorakhpur, is expected to address over a dozen rallies. Sources said that already a host of east UP MPs like Mahendra Nath Pandey (Chandauli), deputy CM Keshav Maurya (Kaushambi) and Deoria MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi have been entrusted with the task of conducting a ground-level campaign in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, a group of senior party leaders including RS MP Laxmikant Bajpai, former UP minister Suresh Rana and cabinet minister Swatantra Dev Singh have been camping in the poll-bound state to help the local leaders doing the groundwork.
Moreover, the party leaders from other states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Jharkhand are also being deployed in Gujarat. BJP sources said that the UP unit is scheduled to send a team of 26 women leaders to Gujarat soon to drum up support for the party in the upcoming elections.