BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath head BJP’s list of 40 star campaigners for the May 10 polls. However, youngsters such as Tejasvi Surya was overlooked. Congress too ignored Sachin Pilot.
Others include Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Dharmendra Pradhan, Mansukh Mandaviya and Smriti Irani besides Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and his MP counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will also campaign.
However, BJP has overlooked many young faces, including Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and MysuruKodagu MP Prathap Simha. While Vijayendra and Simha’s omissions are unsurprising, Surya, 30, who is national president of BJP’s youth wing, has raised eyebrows. Sources say he was overlooked because his name cropped up in a series of controversies in recent times and the party wanted him to focus on organisation.
Congress’ list of star campaigners include, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, state Congress chief DK Shivakumar, former CMs Siddaramaiah and Jagadish Shettar and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor amongst others.
Congress has also named Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot in its list, although a notable absentee is former Union minister Sachin Pilot. Gehlot and Pilot don’t see eye to eye.