Stalwarts go missing from UP poll campaign

Lucknow: The “stars” are missing in action. Uttar Pradesh elections are going full steam ahead, but over a dozen star campaigners are conspicuous by their absence.

This, despite having been an important part of campaigning in past elections.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani , whose name was earlier excluded and then later included in the BJP’s list of star campaigners, has still not addressed a single meeting.

People familiar with the matter said no candidate has sought his presence. Till the 2012 elections, Mr Advani was one of the most sought-after star campaigners in UP.

“We will request him for a meeting as soon as someone seeks his presence,” a BJP functionary said.

BJP member of Parliament Shatrughan Sinha, who used to be a regular in UP campaigns, has not been invited to the state ever since he got into the bad books of the party leadership.

Mr Sinha was a sought-after campaigner because of his punches, one-liners and oratory skills.

Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh’s constitutional post does not allow him to take part in any political activity, though his grandson Sandeep Singh is a candidate from his traditional Atrauli seat in Aligarh.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has also stayed away from campaigning due to health reasons. She is likely to address one meeting in Raebareli next week. But beyond that, she is unlikely to campaign for her party.

Ms Gandhi, till 2014, was one of the busiest Congress campaigners in UP.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav is also missing. Except for one meeting that he addressed Saturday to seek votes for his brother Shivpal, he has no plans of campaigning for a party that was wrested away from him by his son, Akhilesh Yadav.

Mulayam Singh Yadav’s three meetings in Mainpuri, scheduled next week, have been cancelled without reason.

Candidates were wary of inviting Mulayam Singh Yadav because he may end up speaking against party president Akhilesh Yadav, said a Samajwadi Party leader who did not want to be identified.

Shivpal Yadav, another star SP campaigner of yore, is out of action following his strained relationship with Akhilesh Yadav. He has confined himself to campaigning in his own constituency, Jaswantnagar.