Advani, Venkaiah Naidu to campaign in Pondy

Pondicherry, Apr 29 (UNI) BJP leaders L K Advani and Venkaiah Naidu will undertake electioneering in Pondicherry in support of party candidates, BJP state president R Kesavalu said here today.

Addressing a press meet, he said the party intensified its campaign for the May 8 Assembly poll and former Union Minister S Thirunavukkarasar would canvass in ten constituencies today.

BJP All India Vice-President L Ganesan would undertake campaigning in ten constituencies here tomorrow. Mr Advani and Mr Naidu would address a public meeting at Lawspet here on May 4, he added.

Mr Kesavalu claimed the trend was in favour of BJP, particularly after the Congress released its' manifesto. The Congress had released its 2001 manifesto again here, which clearly showed it had failed to take up developmental work. The people of Pondicherry had national thinking and would select the national party BJP, he said.

Taking exception to the Election Commission's reported direction that industrial workers should refrain from campaigning, Mr Kesavalu said there were recognized trade unions in industries and asked how they could be prevented from electioneering. Stating there was a restriction on electioneering upto 1700 hrs in some constituencies, following clashes between political parties, he wondered how the EC could prevent all parties from canvassing after 1700 hrs.

Stating that supporters of the Congress candidate at Lawspet were videographing BJP electioneering in the constituency, BJP election in charge for Pondicherry, Lalitha Kumaramangalam, said this would lead to clashes between the parties. The BJP would complain to the EC.

In the election to the 30-member Territorial Assembly, the BJP was contesting 27 seats and had allocated two seats to 'Uzhappali Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam'.

Nomination papers of the party candidate at Yanam constituency was rejected on scrutiny.

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