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With BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi campaigning extensively in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, political heavy weights from the Hind heartland are set take on the Gujarat chief minister on his home turf from third week April.
UP chief minister and Smajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to address a public rally in Patan district on April 21. JD (U) president Sharad Yadav and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar are also likely to campaign for their candidates in Gujarat later this month. Nitish Kumar’s party will be contesting from at least 11 seats in Gujarat.
Surendra Yadav, president Gujarat unit of Samajwadi party, said, “Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to address a public rally in Patan district on April 21. Our party chief Mulayam Singh may also come for campaigning. Other leader like Jaya Bachchan and Azam Khan are also likely to address other public rallies.”
According to JD(U) Gujarat vice president Govind Jadav, “Our party president Sharad Yadav will certainly be coming to campaign for candidates in second half of April. We are also trying to get Nitish Kumar’s dates as he too is busy in campaigning in Bihar.”
On Tuesday, five parties headed by JD(U) and including Smajwadi Party (SP), CPI(M), CPI and Socialist Party, have formed a pre-poll alliance Progressive Front to campaign for a non-Congress and non-BJP government in the centre. Leaders of these parties also release a joint agenda of the front for Gujarat state. Members of the front will be contesting from different seat and sharing for these seat was yet to be finalised.
“Our slogan is no to Gujarat model of development. There is basically no difference between BJP and Congress’s model of development. Narendra Modi boasts of Gujarat model being the best. But his model is not different from the economic model of the Congress. Modi has failed to give an economic alternative to Congress’s policy,” said Arun Mehta, general secretary of Gujarat CPI(M).
“Gujarat model is anti-workers, anti-farmers, anti-tribal and promotes oppression of weaker sections,” alleged Mehta.
The members of the Progressive Front also accused Congress and BJP of not raising real issue during the election campaigns. “Instead both BJP and Congress are engaged in personal allegations which has nothing to do with elections,” they said.
