NEW DELHI, 16 January 2005 — The Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up for the forthcoming assembly elections in the politically crucial state of Bihar as far as it’s campaigning is concerned. Party’s temperamental tribal leader, Uma Bharati will now travel across the length and breath of the state in the countdown to the polls.
It will be a testing time for the firebrand leader with many within her own party not welcoming the move.
Uma has been given the tough task of reviving the party in the state. She will be in Bihar for 20 days spending more time on the campaign trail than any other BJP leader.
“She is a great crowd puller. People like to see and hear her. Through her speeches she will tell people about Lalu’s misrule,” said senior party leader Sushil Kumar Modi.
Besides Uma, other leaders to be sent for campaigning in Bihar include former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee who will campaign for three days, BJP President L.K. Advani for five days and Pramod Mahajan for eight days.
Actor-turned politician, Shatrughan Sinha has been given the responsibility of managing the campaign.
“Arun Jaitley is in charge there. Many other leaders will also be present. Uma Bharati will be there for 19-20 days,” BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told Arab News.
For Uma the Bihar elections will be a chance to show just what kind of crowd she can gather at political rallies.
But if those crowds are not converted into votes for the party, then Uma will also join the long list of BJP star campaigners who have failed to swing the ultimate election results in the state which is being ruled by the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad Yadav.
