Demand for campaign by Anurag Thakur increased: BJP leaders

The demand by BJP candidates for Union minister Anurag Thakur to campaign in their constituencies has increased, leaders in the party said on Wednesday, even though the Election Commission has ordered to remove him from the party's star campaigners list.

The leaders said Thakur is slated to campaign in more than a dozen constituencies over the next few days.

Earlier in the day, the poll panel issued a show cause notice to Thakur and his party colleague Parvesh Verma for their controversial remarks during recent election rallies.

Thakur and Verma can still canvass for their party but the candidates will have to bear the campaign expenditures. A political party bears the expenses of canvassing by star campaigners. But the candidate has to show expenses of organising meetings and rallies by other campaigners in his/her election expenditure accounts.

While political parties have no limit on the amount they can spend for electioneering, candidates can spend a maximum of Rs 28 lakh for campaigning in Delhi assembly polls.

"The election commission's notice has hardly done any dent to Anurag's popularity among BJP workers and candidates. On the contrary, his demand for campaigning in assembly elections in the national capital has increased," a source in the party said.

Thakur (45), who served three consecutive terms as BJP's youth wing president, enjoys good rapport with several candidates and party workers in the national capital, which works in his favour, the sources said.

"Demand for campaigning by him has been received from many constituencies," a party leader said, adding that he is slated to campaign in over dozen constituencies over next few days.

Thakur, who is the Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, has his hands full during election season. Alongside discharging his duties as a minister during the busy Budget preparation exercise, he has also been holding midnight meetings with BJP cadres.

Thakur, known for his gentle tone, has been very aggressive in his campaign rallies under the directions of the top party leadership. He has been raking up the Shaheen Bagh issue in his speeches.

He was recently also in the news for cementing the BJP's ties with his neighbour and JJP founder Dushyant Chautala in Haryana.