The star campaigners’ list of the BJP has omitted the name of Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi’s name while naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and several other Central Ministers as spearheading the poll battle in the electorally key State of Uttar Pradesh.
Even though Varun’s name has been omitted, his mother and Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has been given due place as a star campaigner.
Vinay Katiyar, the face of Ram temple movement of the 1990s, is also missing in the list of key campaigners in UP. Another BJP leader and MP from Gorakhpur Yogi Adityanath has, however, been enlisted as the key campaigner.
Adityanath also had some issues with the Central leadership as wanting to be projected the face of the campaign. At one point of time, he, along with some other BJP leaders like Smiriti Irani and Mahesh Sharma, was touted as potential CM nominees of the BJP.
Veteran party leaders lK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi have also not found a place in the main the list.
Varun, a popular face in the State, has been sidelined by the party ever since he was dropped as general secretary by Shah. The Sultanpur MP has been keeping a low profile and ploughing his lone furrow focusing on development work in his constituency and outside it in the State. He has also been touring colleges, educational institutions and interacting with youth.
The PM is scheduled to address over 7 to 8 rallies in UP. The party may revise its schedule for the final campaign after watching the last word on the SP-Congress alliance in UP.