Bigwigs join Lok Sabha poll campaign in state

Political stalwarts, from the Prime Minister to the office bearers, will woo voters in Karnataka in the ongoing poll campaign. A look at the star campaigners listed with the State Election Commission by the major six political parties reveal the names of the heavy weights of the campaign bandwagon.

Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, Janata Dal (S) and Bahujan Samajwadi Party have listed a maximum of 40 leaders while the Communist Party of India (Marxists) is deputing one short by proposing 39 names. Janata Dal (United) has listed the least of 19 leaders.

Being in power, the Congress party has listed top guns of the party to canvas in the State. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, party’s young star campaigner Rahul Gandhi, dubbed as the future prime minister, who currently holds the portfolio of AICC general secretary are among its 40 leaders to woo the electorate.

 

Another AICC general secretary Gulam Nabi Azad, former chief minister of Maharashtra Vilas Rao Deshmukh and ex-AICC general secretary Margaret Alva apart, cine stars Umashree and Ambareesh, who kept the party guessing till the last minute on his political moves, are among its star campaigners.

KPCC president R V Deshpande, popular state leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, former chief ministers S Bangarappa, M Veerappa Moily, Dharam Singh and S M Krishna are already engaged in campaign.

National president and the projected prime minister L K Advani will lead the BJP campaign. Rajnath Singh. Arun Jaitley, Ramlal, Sushma Swaraj, Najma Heptullah and Narendra Modi are the other top national leaders to woo the voters. BJP’s Ananthkumar is already campaigning for himself and the party.

BJP appears to be banking heavily on its cine star members for its success in the polls after the Assembly polls. It is deputing a big contingent comprising of Shatrughan Sinha, Hema Malini, Smriti Irani, Srinath, Jaggesh, Sai Kumar, Shruthi Mahendar and Mukhya Mantri Chandru. Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and state president D V Sadananda Gowda are leading the state team.

The JD(S) campaign has all features of a family-oriented campaign. Party’s national president and state’s political stalwart H D Deve Gowda, his sons, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and former Minister H D Revanna and Kumaraswamy’s wife Anitha, MLA, lead it.

Apart from its two national-level office bearers, Danish Ali and Tatya Rao Kamble, its campaigners will include officebearers B Gopal and S H Suresh. Despite Kumaraswamy himself being a film industry leader, no star from the film world could be traced in the list.

BSP too has listed top national level leaders to woo the voters in the state. Led by its national president and UP chief minister Mayawati, its two national secretaries Satish Chandra Mishra and Veer Singhji will campaign in the state. The rest will be its state office-bearers.

The JD (U) campaign rests entirely on the shoulders of the state leaders, led by Mallanagoud Nadgoud. National general secretary Prakash Karat will lead the CPM bandwagon. The rest are politbureau and central committee members.