Team Anna to begin campaign in UP tomorrow

New Delhi, Feb 1: Ahead of the assembly polls, Team Anna will begin its campaign in Uttar Pradesh from Thursday on the Lokpal bill, pressing various political parties to make clear their stand on the issue.

In a statement released today, the activists said they will hold meetings in Mahadev Talab Maidan in Fathepur of Barabanki and in Ramlila Maidan in Gonda tomorrow.

Team Anna has claimed that they will not target any single party during the campaign but put forward the need for a strong Lokpal.

Anna Hazare and his team had shot off a series of letters to leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi and BJP president Nitin Gadkari, last week trying to put them on the mat on the Lokpal issue ahead of assembly polls in five states.

UP Chief Minister Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav were the other receipients of their letters.

While in the letter to Singh, the Prime Minister is asked to show some courage to withdraw the "weak" Lokpal Bill and bring a stronger one, the one to Gandhi asked the Congress leader whether his party will dare to bring a law on the lines of "strong" Lokayukta law in Uttarakhand.

Gadkari was questioned on why his party did not insist on Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, in which it is a coalition partner, to bring a strong Lokayukta law like the one passed by BJP government in Uttarakhand. He was also asked why BJP changed tracks on bringing Lokayuktas through Lokpal bill.

Team Anna also found fault with BSP chief Mayawati for not opposing the bill in Standing Committee and walking out in Lok Sabha which they alleged helped the UPA government pass it in the Lower House.

Yadav, on the other hand, "strongly" opposed the bill in Standing Committee but walked out in Lok Sabha, the Team Anna letter to him said while asking him to clear whether he would go with Congress or BJP after the UP elections.

On Friday, the activists will visit Faizabad and Basti.

PTI