BJP star parade: More the merrier

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br />NEW DELHI: As the Congress sets out to expose "a scam a week'', the BJP is unveiling a star a day. Some days, two or three. In poll season, it is sign-up time.<br /><br />Election dates have not been announced, but with the express view of getting as much celebrity into the party fold as possible, the BJP is lining up crowd-pullers from all over.Bollywood one day, cricket the next, national "parivars" a third. <br /><br />With India shining and feel-good in the air, does the BJP need to pack the celeb punch? Pramod Mahajan''s defence: "It''s election time. Should we sit back arms folded just because we are comfortably placed?"<br /></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="65.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><img src="/photo/505255.cms" alt="/photo/505255.cms" border="0" /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">NEW GANDHI ON THE BLOCK:</span> Feroze Varun Gandhi is clearly the catch of the season and the BJP can''t stop gushing. He''s too young to contest, so the 24-year-old will be kept busy campaigning far and wide. He''s articulate, telegenic and a Gandhi. Overqualified?</div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="65.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><img src="/photo/505256.cms" alt="/photo/505256.cms" border="0" /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">SABKI BAHU:</span> Smriti Malhotra Irani was one of the first TV stars to join the BJP in this round, and what a casting coup. The long-suffering <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">bahu </span>of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi</span> is actually the fiery sort when addressing crowds. She talks as well as she acts.</div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /></div> </div><div class="section3"><div class="Normal"></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="65.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><img src="/photo/505257.cms" alt="/photo/505257.cms" border="0" /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">JUMPING JACK FLASH: </span>Old white shoes Jeetendra jived into the BJP one February evening, choosing not to face a barrage of questions while doing so. He won''t have much appeal with GenNext, but is a big enough name to pull in the more curious.</div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /></div> </div><div class="section4"><div class="Normal"></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="65.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><img src="/photo/505258.cms" alt="/photo/505258.cms" border="0" /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">THE TALKING SIKH: </span>Navjyot Singh Sidhu seems as comfortable spouting political Sidhuisms as he is commenting on cricket. Some new facts as Sidhu turned saffron: He comes from a political family. If he promises a Sidhuism or two at every public meeting, he''ll replace Laloo Prasad as the crowd favourite.</div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /></div> </div><div class="section5"><div class="Normal"></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="65.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><img src="/photo/505259.cms" alt="/photo/505259.cms" border="0" /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">SNAKE IN THE GRASS: </span>Ramola Sikand alias Sudha Chandran, she of the over-the-top make-up, has promised to be her vampish best to help the BJP get more votes. While the Congress figures that one out, this one will be plotting her next diabolic move. </div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /></div> </div><div class="section6"><div class="Normal"></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="65.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><img src="/photo/505260.cms" alt="/photo/505260.cms" border="0" /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">PAPA DON''T PREACH: </span>Expectedly, much of the impassioned stuff that Suresh Oberoi wanted to convey as he joined the BJP was lost as people jostled to get in a question about the star son and his starrier friend. Would Vivek and Ash campaign too? Papa will not tell yet.</div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /></div> </div><div class="section7"><div class="Normal"></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="65.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><img src="/photo/505261.cms" alt="/photo/505261.cms" border="0" /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">MAIN JHOOTH NAHIN BOLTA: </span>Gajendra Chauhan who? Gotcha! Meet Yudhishtir of the telly <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Mahabharat</span>. He was the one that got to wear a sombre expression through the mega serial. To see him smile log on to BJP, where he can be seen grinning as he asks for votes.</div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /></div> </div><div class="section8"><div class="Normal"></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="65.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><img src="/photo/505262.cms" alt="/photo/505262.cms" border="0" /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">DREAM GIRL: </span>Hema Malini protests she is not a politician, but much before she started homework on being a Rajya Sabha member she was endorsing the BJP as a "Punjab <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">ki bahu</span>". After <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Baghban</span>, there is expected to be renewed interest when she starts campaigning. </div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /></div> </div><div class="section9"><div class="Normal"></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="65.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><img src="/photo/505263.cms" alt="/photo/505263.cms" border="0" /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">YES MINISTER: </span>He is an old hand now. Vinod Khanna (left), among the first to jump on to the BJP bandwagon, will be busy with his own election campaign. Perhaps he could rope in the two star sons, Rahul and Akshaye, to say a word or two for the party.</div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /></div> </div><div class="section10"><div class="Normal"></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="65.9%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><img src="/photo/505264.cms" alt="/photo/505264.cms" border="0" /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">BIHARI BABU: </span>Look who''s already hit the campaign trail. Shotgun Sinha is out in Lalooland targeting the man himself. Along with Khanna, Sinha has represented the industry well after sulking for months to get a ministerial berth. Now, he has already had two of those. </div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"></div> </div>