PM Modi, Amit Shah lead BJP's Gujarat campaigners' list

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has drawn up a list of star campaigners for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

Topping the list is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the longest serving Gujarat CM and a son of the soil.

The other prominent names on the list include BJP national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and fellow central cabinet colleagues Smriti Irani, Dharmendra Pradhan, Mansukh Mandaviya and Purushottam Rupala.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who is seeking a fresh mandate from Ghatlodia Assembly segment, also features in the star campainers' list along with BJP state president CR Patil and state Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi.

Chief Ministers from other BJP-ruled states -- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan -- have also included in the list of campaigners for Gujarat polls.

Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and former deputy CM Nitin Patel, who recently announced that they will not contest the upcoming state polls, have also been included in the campaigners' list. Actors-turned-politicians Manoj Tiwary, Nirahua and Ravi Kishan will also be canvassing for BJP candidates ahead of the polls, which will be conducted over two phases on December 1 and 5.

Former Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala also features on the BJP's list of campaigners. The saffron party is seeking its seventh, straight term in power in the ensuing state polls.

The state has been a BJP stronghold for long and the party has set its sights on returning to power with a handsome majority this time as well. However, it faces a stiff electoral challenge from the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has named Isudan Gadhvi as its chief ministerial candidate.

The Congress is also hoping to put its best electoral foot forward to unseat the BJP government.