The Hindu : National : Kalyan Singh to start campaign with Ayodhya visit

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Saturday, Sep 09, 2006

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Kalyan Singh to start campaign with Ayodhya visit

Special Correspondent

DEHRA DUN: The Bharatiya Janata Party's election campaign in Uttar Pradesh is all set to start on September 26 when Kalyan Singh, BJP in-charge of the State's political affairs, will visit Ayodhya.

The former Chief Minister said that while the building of a Ram temple at the disputed Ayodhya site "was not a political issue" he would visit Ayodhya with hundreds of party workers in a cavalcade of some 300 cars on September 26 before starting the party's election campaign. Mr. Singh was speaking to reporters outside the venue of the party's national executive committee meeting here on Friday. Later in the day the party discussed the political situation in the four States scheduled to go to the polls in February next year.

On September 17 and 18 a meeting has been convened in Lucknow where a few Central party leaders and top State leaders would be present to make a preliminary selection of candidates. The idea is to give priority to "youth," defined by Mr. Singh as below 40 years of age, is the selection process. This could mean that the BJP will be selecting a large number of fresh faces for the election to the 403 member strong Assembly.

Earlier, senior party leader from the State, Kalraj Mishra, told The Hindu that numerous corner meetings in almost all districts of the State had been held, and larger meetings addressed by State-level leaders. In the process of selection of candidates party workers had also been involved. They had been asked whom they would like to see as their party candidate.

Panels of names had been prepared, and the final selection would be made, although not declared, before the month-end, to give the candidates a head start.

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