BJP to launch 'mega election campaign' in Uttarakhand on Feb 1

Dehradun, Jan 30: Union Minister and BJP's Uttarakhand election in-charge, Pralhad Joshi on Sunday said the BJP will launch mega election campaign in Uttarakhand on February 1.

"BJP will launch its mega election campaign in Uttarakhand on Feb 1. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur will address rallies of 500 people on that day," Joshi said.

"LED TVs will be set up at 10-15 places in all 70 constituencies for people to listen to the leaders address... Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP chief JP Nadda will also campaign in the state," he said.

"We have sought PM Narendra Modi's time for campaigning in Uttarakhand. He has agreed but the modalities will be finalized in line with the Election Commission's guidelines that are expected to be released tomorrow," he added.

The BJP on Saturday released a list of 30 'star campaigners' to campaign for the party in Uttarakhand that goes to polls on February 14.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of Road transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP president JP Nadda, and Union Minister and the party's election in-charge for Uttarakhand Pralhad Joshi are on top of the list.

The list also includes Union Minister Smriti Irani, Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami, his cabinet colleague Satpal Maharaj, and Pradesh BJP president Madan Kaushik.

The elections to the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly will be held on February 14. The counting of votes will be taken up on March 10. The BJP is in power in the state.