Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his party colleague L K Advani are planning to launch a letter campaign in support of NDA-backed presidential nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
NEW DELHI: Reminiscent of his telephone calls to voters ahead of the 2004 general elections, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his party colleague L K Advani are planning to launch a letter campaign in support of NDA-backed presidential nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
A senior BJP leader said on Monday that the two stalwarts would reach out to the voters in presidential elections through their letters as part of the party's call for a conscience vote.
Shekhawat too is expected to write similar letters to woo voters in his bid for the presidency.
The BJP has also set up regional election management committees involving its state chief whips apparently to ensure its votes remain intact for the NDA-backed candidate.
Shekhawat's spokesperson Sushma Swaraj announced that similar committees have been set up in states where the party is a partner in government.
BJP leaders Advani, M Venkaiah Naidu, Murli Manohar Joshi and Ravi Shankar Prasad are set to address party meetings separately in different states as part of the campaign.
The former deputy prime minister, who is virtually leading Shekhawat's campaign, is scheduled to address a party meeting in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh on July 10.
Joshi will address a similar meeting in Uttar Pradesh on July 9 while Swaraj will visit Rajasthan for the same purpose on Wednesday there, said.
A combined meeting with ally JD (Secular), as part of Shekhawat's campaign, is scheduled to be addressed by Naidu on July 7 in Karnataka.
The NDA's parliamentary party, barring members of the Shiv Sena, will meet here on July 17, she said.
Despite her party colleagues admitting privately that they have doubts over the Trinamool's support, Swaraj insisted the NDA partner, none of whose leaders had turned up when Shekhawat filed his nomination, would surely vote for him.
Swaraj, whose party leader Advani wrote to the Election Commission that it was "incumbent" for it to require all presidential candidates to declare their assets and background, said Shekhawat would make such disclosures once the EC order comes.
"This question will be relevant if the EC declines to make any such direction," she remarked when asked whether the NDA-backed candidate was ready to disclose his assets.
She said the NDA was waiting for the EC's directions in the matter.
"The CEC's decision will be binding upon both the candidates. He will do it (disclose the assets) the very next day (of the EC's order)," she remarked.
Swaraj also spoke about NDA plans to reach out to voters, especially from the UPA and the Left, on what she called one-on-one basis.
Later, NDA leaders briefed Vajpayee about the progress in their campaign for Shekhawat.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}