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Katiyar left without star campaigners

Most BJP leaders are busy with Mahajan tragedy and `suraksha yatra'

RAE BARELI: The BJP is suffering from a shortage of campaigners for the May 8 Rae Bareli by-election due to the absence of party general secretary Pramod Mahajan, who is battling for life in a Mumbai hospital.

Mr Mahajan had accompanied Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Vinay Katiyar when he filed his nomination for the by-poll.

Last time, Mr Katiyar's campaign was hit during the 2004 general elections when his wife died at Kanpur.

He was forced to leave the campaign trail midway.

He had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls from Lakhimpur Kheri. Earlier this year, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from the U.P. quota.

With most BJP leaders busy with the Mr. Mahajan tragedy, Mr Katiyar is facing a shortage of star campaigners to seek people's vote for the by-poll.

`Nukkad' meetings

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address at least five public meetings in the constituency on Wednesday and the day after as her MP son Rahul Gandhi on a full-time basis carries out electioneering on her behalf.

Mr Gandhi had been addressing a series of `nukkad' meetings in the area since April 25.

Samajwadi Party supremo and Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has deployed a battery of party leaders to campaign for his candidate Rajkumar Chaudhury.

`Cycle yatras'

Mr Singh on Tuesday addressed a public meeting here, while his son and Kannauj MP Akhilesh is undertaking a series of `Cycle Yatras' in favour of Mr Chaudhury. The cycle is the party symbol of the Samajwadi party.

Expelled BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti, who recently floated Bharatiya Janshakti Party, has backed Prabha Singh Lodh on an Apna Dal ticket. Ms Bharti, who had addressed a public rally after Ms Lodh's nomination, would return for the next round of electioneering on May 5.

Mr Katiyar, on the other hand, has managed former Union minister Sushma Swaraj, to campaign for him. Most BJP top brass are busy with the `Bharat Suraksha Yatra' and Mr. Mahajan's well being.

``Mr L K Advani would campaign for Mr Katiyar on May 6 when his yatra reaches Lucknow,'' a BJP leader said here.

May 6 is the last date of campaigning for the by-poll necessitated after Ms Gandhi resigned from the Lok Sabha seat on March 23 following the office of profit controversy.

UNI

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