New Delhi: The Pilibhit unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up for the rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 April in support of the party candidate and Uttar Pradesh minister Jitin Prasada in the prestigious Lok Sabha seat.
Prasad was fielded in place of sitting MP Varun Gandhi at Pilibhit.
For the first time since 1989 when Varun’s mother Maneka Gandhi won the Lok Sabha polls in Pilibhit as a Janata Dal candidate, a Gandhi family member is not fighting from this constituency. Maneka lost the 1991 election from here but after that she and Varun have won seven consecutive elections from Pilibhit.
Pilibhit will vote in the first phase on 19 April.
According to a senior BJP functionary, for the first time Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a rally in Pilibhit to drum up support for the BJP candidate.
“The Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat has been traditionally considered a Gandhi family seat. The fact that Varun Gandhi has been replaced by the party and a new candidate has been fielded has made it into a prestigious battle and wants to ensure a better vote percentage than 2019,” said a senior BJP leader.
Confirming the PM’s rally on April 9, BJP district president Sanjeev Pratap Singh said all preparations are underway for the rally. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji will address an election rally on 9 April at the grounds of Drummond Government Inter College in Pilibhit. We are making all preparations for it, and we are expecting more than a lakh people,” he added.
According to a party functionary, the BJP has chalked out elaborate plans to press into action its senior leaders on the electoral battlefield. “Efforts are being made to get other senior leaders and so far apart from PM, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will campaign here (he has already held a programme in the constituency). We are also seeking time from other senior leaders,” said a senior party functionary.
Campaigning for the BJP in Pilibhit, Adityanath Tuesday showered praises on Prasada. “Jitin Prasada is easily accessible. He worked for building roads in the district while being the state PWD minister. You can get all your problems resolved by Jitin Prasada in the next five years,” he said.
While the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party’s candidate is Anis Ahmad Khan, the Samajwadi Party has fielded Bhagwat Saran Gangwar from Pilibhit. The SP will get the support of the Congress as part of the opposition alliance.
Former Union minister Maneka Gandhi has represented Pilibhit six times and her son Varun twice. “This is the first time that a rally of the PM is being organised. In the past. he has not held a rally here but used to include it in clusters even as the rally took place somewhere nearby,” explained a party functionary.
A number of senior BJP leaders have already visited the constituency since the announcement of Prasada as the candidate. Earlier denied a ticket, Varun Gandhi had penned an emotional letter to his constituents, asserting that his bonding with them will continue. Gandhi had not attended the rally by Yogi Adityanath earlier and is unlikely to attend the PM’s rally too.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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