BJP has roped in top leaders to boost its campaign for the civic polls in Gujarat, while Congress is focusing on local issues and exposing “misrule” of the saffron party in these urban corporations.
The Municipal Corporations of the six cities - Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar - all currently ruled by BJP - are going to the polls on October 10.
BJP President Nitin Gadkari, senior leader Sushma Swaraj and Chief Minister Narendra Modi have addressed election rallies in support of party candidates.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Ishrat Jahan encounter cases, “misuse” of CBI by the Congress-led UPA coalition, rising prices, farmer suicides, terrorism, “wrong” economic policies of the Manmohan Singh Government and rotting foodgrains are some of the issues raised by the BJP leaders.
BJP leaders argued that the reason behind raising national issues is to convince the electorates that the defeat of Congress in the civic polls will convey a strong message about change of guard at the Centre in the next polls.
Former Deputy PM L. K. Advani, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, former BJP chief Rajnath Singh and TV star-turned-politician Smriti Irani are expected to campaign for the party candidates in the couple of days.
ADVERTISEMENT