HQs move to Varanasi for last 2 phases of poll

Lucknow, Apr 30: Various political parties have positioned their 'battle headquarters' to the eastern district of Varanasi for the last two phases of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

With the last two phases of elections to 111 seats spread across 18 districts to be held on May 3 and May 8 in mostly eastern parts of the state, major political parties have shifted their campaign offices to Varanasi, the biggest city with easy access to all the districts.

''Varanasi has an airport and all communication facilities to co-ordinate campaigning and tour programmes, therefore we have shifted our poll instrastructure there,'' said a senior UP Congress leader.

The Varanasi airport can handle both aircraft and helicopters.

Congress has also stationed its three charted helicopters to Varanasi to ensure that its campaigners can reach out to the constituencies going to poll in the two phases easily.

The party has also sent its office-bearers, looking after tour programmes and VVIP movement co-ordination to the holy city.

While AICC presidnt Sonia Gandhi will be in Varanasi today, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be in Gorakhpur tomorrow evening.

Amethi MP and Congress' star campaigner Rahul Gandhi had yesterday afternoon airdashed to Deoria where Congress workers were lathi-charged on Saturday.

The BJP too has stationed its senior leader and former Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in Varanasi to look after campaigning.

Naqvi has already started organising meetings with BJP's pre-poll allies Janata Dal (United) and Apna Dal in the region. ''We would organise a total of 100 such joint meetings in the coming days,'' he said.

BJP is largely banking on the support of Apna Dal and JD(U) in the region to gather more seats to its kitty.

The ruling Samajwadi Party too has started concentrating in the region. While pary supremo and Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav will fly down to the constituencies from the state capital itself, other senior party leaders and campaigners will be stationed at Varanasi and Gorakhpur to helihop to the assembly seats on a day-to-day basis. ''Such an exercise saves a lot of aviation fuel and cuts down travel time. Therefore, leaders can address more public meetings in one day before campaigning ends,'' said a BJP leader.

UNI

RelatedStories