UP CM to campaign for bypoll in Palghar district

MUMBAI: In an unprecedented development, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will be campaigning for the Lok Sabha bypoll in Palghar, which is to be held on May 28. He is scheduled to address a rally at Nalasopara on Wednesday. Mr Adityanath has been invited to address north Indians, especially those from Uttar Pradesh, who account for a sizeable vote bank in Palghar.

On Sunday, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief and Bhojpuri film actor Manoj Tiwari tried to woo the north Indians in favour of Rajendra Gavit, the party’s candidate. According to BJP sources, the party has roped in nine UP MLAs, including UP Cabinet minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi and the UP chief minister.

According to a north Indian BJP leader who has been assigned to campaign work of the party in Palghar, close to 50,000 voters from Azamgarh, Deoria and Jaunpur districts of the eastern parts of UP reside in Vasai, Nalasopara and Virar. Approximately 25 per cent voters in Palghar district are north Indians. There are close to 17 lakh voters in Palghar.    

Avadhesh Singh, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Pindra in Varanasi, has been camping in Palghar from more than a week to woo the north Indian voters in Palghar and Boisar. Other UP MLAs such as Nilratan Patel of Apana Dal, Anil Kumar Maurya, Rakesh Pande, Virendra Bahadur Singh, Sushil Singh and Guarishankar Misra have been campaigning.      

Mr Adityanath will address a grand public meeting at Manvel Pada Talav in Virar at 6 pm on Wednesday