Varun Gandhi, MM Joshi, Vinay Katiyar feature in BJP's 2nd list of star campaigners

Some noted omissions, including Varun Gandhi, Murli Manohar Joshi and Vinay Katiyar, from the first list of BJP’s star campaigners for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, figure in the second list of top campaigners submitted by the party with the Election Commission.

The list, which includes top party leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its chief Amit Shah among 40 names, is meant for the third and fourth phases of the elections scheduled for February 19 and 23. If no new list is submitted, then it will be valid for all remaining phases.

Varun Gandhi’s mother and Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, who had figured among the top campaigners for the first two phases, is not in the new list which includes Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Kalraj Mishra, Smriti Irani, Uma Bharti and Arun Jaitley besides state leaders.

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It also includes Yogi Adityanath, comedian Raju Shrivastava and Hema Malini.

The seven-phase polls will be held on February 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, March 4 and 8.