BJP, Congress field star campaigners in Uttarakhand

Campaigning for the April 11 Lok Sabha election in Uttarakhand is set to heat up when top politicians and film stars hit the campaign trail.

From the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally at Rudrapur on March 28 to shore up the saffron poll campaign for two seats of Kumaon region - Almora and Nainital.

To counter Modi, Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi and his sister and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will hold road-shows and rallies, the dates and venues of which are yet to be finalised, a top Congress leader said.

Preparations for the Prime Minister's rally in Rudrapur have already begun, state BJP President Ajay Bhatt said.

BJP has also chalked out plans to organise rallies for its star campaigners - Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Bhatt, among others.

Union Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot and BJP leader Shyam Jaju would also campaign for the saffron party in the state.

The Chief Minister will address rallies at Tanakpur, Gauchar and Chwalapur on March 24 and at Salt, Purola and Sahaspur on March 26.

Rahul Gandhi, who kicked off the party's campaign here on Saturday, is expected to address one or two rallies in the Kumaon region, Congress sources said.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also expected to participate in road-shows in the Kumaon region.

Both the BJP and the Congress have roped in film stars such as Hema Malini and Raj Babbar to add glitter to the election campaign.

Elections to the five Lok Sabha seats of Uttarakhand will be held in the first phase on April 11.

--IANS

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