Lucknow: The BJP has now decided to deploy leaders from Uttar Pradesh for its campaign in Gujarat. The party will use leaders from UP to push aggressive Hindutva card in the upcoming Assembly elections.
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath will be campaigning in Gujarat on October 13 and 14, while other ministers will follow later.
According to BJP sources, Mr Adityanath is emerging as BJP’s star campaigner and the party wants to convey the message of aggressive Hindutva through him.
“Yogi Adityanath is an enigma for people outside UP and his charisma has created a demand for him for campaigning. There is a large workforce in Gujarat that hails from eastern Uttar Pradesh and we plan to win them over with Mr Adityanath’s campaign,” said a BJP functionary.
It may be recalled that during the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had talked about the Uttar Pradesh migrant workers’ contribution in Gujarat’s development.
Mr Modi had said that people from all districts of Uttar Pradesh have moved to Gujarat to do wonders for the state.
Other UP ministers will be asked to campaign in areas that has a sizeable Hindi speaking population in Gujarat.
These ministers will be asked to explain how they have emerged as game-changers in Uttar Pradesh, ending 14 years of misrule.
Ministers who are known for their organisational skills like deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma and minister Swatantra Dev Singh will be asked to concentrate on the “weak pockets” in Gujarat.
Kurmi leaders in the UP BJP and its allies, in particular, will be an important part of the Gujarat campaign in order to counter the influence of Patidar leader Hardik Patel.
All the campaigners from Uttar Pradesh are being asked to lash out at the Congress and its dismal performance in Uttar Pradesh. The apathy of the Congress towards Amethi and Rae Bareli, which are the pocket boroughs of its leaders, will be highlighted in the Gujarat campaign.
BJP president Amit Shah, during his Amethi visit on Tuesday, has already given a clear indication that the BJP will go all out to targets Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in the Gujarat campaign. Mr Gandhi is also showing an aggressive streak in his campaign in Gujarat.
