Vajpayee to campaign on Apr 25, 26 in UP

Varanasi, Apr 19 (UNI) Ending confusion surrounding former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's active participation in the poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP today said the stalwart MP from Lucknow is likely to hit the campaign trail on April 25 and 26.

''Mr Vajpayee is likely to hit the campaign trail by addressing a slew of public rallies in different parts of the state,'' BJP national secretary Balbir Punj told newspersons here.

A former Rajya Sabha MP and columnist Mr Punj said, ''the venues of the proposed rallies of Mr Vajpayee were yet to be decided. But things will be finalised shortly.'' So far, confusion had been prevailing about Mr Vajpayee's participation in poll campaign due to ill health, which triggered speculation that he was deliberately staying out of the campaign, due to unhappiness over the ''controversial CD'' issue.

Senior leaders, including former deputy PM L K Advani, present party president Rajnath Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi would also accompany Mr Vajpayee, besides film star-turned- MPs Shatrughan Sinha and Hema Malini.

Cricketer- turned-politician Navjot Singh Siddhu, TV actor Smriti Malhotra (Tulsi) and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi will also hit the campaign trail in the remaining four phases of the crucial polls, Mr Punj added.

UNI