Modi to be star campaigner in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow, March 25 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is the most sought after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaigner in Uttar Pradesh.

BJP sources say there is great demand for Modi from candidates compared to all other party leaders including prime ministerial nominee L.K. Advani and former BJP president Rajnath Singh, who belongs to the state.

'There is not a single constituency (among 80) in the state where Modi's public rally has not been sought by local leaders,' confirmed a senior BJP functionary.

'Even though he is in charge of both Gujarat and Maharastra, Modi has agreed to keep reasonable time slots for Uttar Pradesh,' state BJP president Ramapati Ram Tripathi told IANS.

'It would not be possible for him to cover each and every constituency in Uttar Pradesh. But even of we are able to have him here for two rallies in each of the five phases of the election, we would be able to cover a large number of constituencies,' he said.