BJP to hold election campaign in UP

New Delhi, Mar 16 (UNI) The BJP today said it will launch the UP election campaign by organising simultaneous rallies at Agra, Jhansi and Kanpur on March 25, to be addressed by its top leaders.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of top BJP leaders at the residence of UP election in charge M Venkaiah Naidu.

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be addressing the rally at Kanpur, while Leader of Opposition L K Advani and BJP president Rajnath Singh will lead the rallies at Agra and Jhansi respectively.

BJP chief ministerial nominee Kalyan Singh will be adressing the rally at Kanpur along with Mr Vajpayee, Leader of Oppostion in UP Assembly Lalji Tandon will be assisting Mr Advani at Agra and state party chief Kesari Nath Tripathi will be accompanying Mr Rajnath Singh at the rally at Jhansi.

The meeting, which began at 1245 hrs, was attended by Mr Rajnath Singh and Mr Kalyan Singh, Kesari Nath Tripathi, Lalji Tandon, besides other party leaders.

After successes in Punjab and Uttarakhand, the assembly elections in UP for BJP are significant as the party president Rajnath Singh and Mr Vajpayee belongs to the state.

The BJP will like to go all out in the present situation to grab power in the State.

The party has so far released the first list of its 317 candidates out of 403 seats, fielding 100 new faces and renominating most sitting members.

The party, however, got a jolt yesterday when its Gorakhpur MP Yogi Aditya Nath resigned from the party's national executive, apparently in protest against denial of ticket to his nominees.

According to sources, having firmed up an understanding with Apna Dal and Janata Dal (United), the BJP will contest 353 constituencies, leaving the rest to its allies.

UNI