Modi, Rupani to intensify BJP campaign in Delhi

With just 11 days to go for polls to the seven seats in the national capital, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to add a little more star power to its campaign with a public meeting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a road show by Bollywood actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol or his brother Bobby Deol.

A senior Delhi BJP leader told IANS: "The Prime Minister will address a public meeting in support of all the seven candidates at the Ramleela Maidan on May 8." The request for Modi's public meeting in Delhi had been accepted by the Prime Minister's Office, he added.

Besides Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will also hold a public meeting in support of cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir who is contesting from the East Delhi parliamentary constituency.

The BJP leader said Sunny Deol, also the party candidate from Punjab's Gurdaspur, might hold a road show in the city in favour of all the party candidates.

"If Sunny Deol's programme is not finalised, then his brother Bobby Deol will hold the road show for the BJP candidates in Delhi," he said and added the party was excited with the success of Sunny Deol's road show in Rajasthan's Barmer last week.

The BJP leader said names of a few more celebrities were being finalised for campaigning in Delhi, where the party won all the seven seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

In the coming days all the BJP candidates would intensify their voter outreach programmes and also campaign in the Delhi Metro, he added.

Pitted against the Congress and the AAP in Delhi, the BJP has replaced two of its sitting MPs while retaining the five sitting MPs in the elections.

The BJP has fielded Union Minister Harsh Vardhan from Chandani Chowk, Bhojpuri actor and singer Manoj Tiwari from North East Delhi, Pravesh Singh Verma from West Delhi, singer-turned politician Hans Raj Hans from North West Delhi, Meenakshi Lekhi from New Delhi, Ramesh Bidhuri from South Delhi and Gambhir from East Delhi.

It has replaced East Delhi MP Maheish Girri and North West Delhi MP Udit Raj. After being denied ticket, Udit Raj joined the Congress next day accusing the BJP of being anti-Dalit.

Elections in the national capital are scheduled on May 12 in the sixth phase. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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