"I can see that a conspiracy is at work to defame Modi by not giving importance to BJP leaders from Bihar, including national leaders like Syed Shahanwaz Hussain, Ravishankar Prasad and Rajiv Pratap Rudy who were not invited to campaign for the party in the coming Gujarat assembly polls," state Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Giriraj Singh told PTI.
Media reports about Gujarat chief minister giving a snub to the Bihar BJP leaders also appeared to be aimed at creating confusion in the party and to defame him in the eyes of the people, Singh, a self-confessed votary of Narendra Modi said.
He said the exclusion of any number of leaders, including those from Bihar, from campaigning should be seen in the perspective that the Election Commission approves only a 40 campaigners for polls in a state at the expenses of the concerned political party.
The campaigners list should have a fair mix of national and state BJP leaders and in the case of Gujarat polls, the BJP leadership has submitted to the EC names of only five to seven national leaders and the remaining of local leaders, he said.
Singh said as per information available to him, the doors have not been shut for party leaders from Bihar and 200 leaders and workers, including him, would go to Gujarat from the state for electioneering at the later stage.