Assam Assembly elections: PM Modi, Shah, Nadda among 40 star campaigners of BJP

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda are among 40 star campaigners of the BJP for Assam Assembly elections.

Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Bihar minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain will also campaign for the party.

Other campaigners include BJP general secretary B L Santosh, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Manipur CM N Biren Singh and Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu will also be seen campaigning for the BJP.

BJP Vice President and party Assam in-charge Baijayant Panda, election in-charge Narendra Singh Tomar and co- incharge Jitendra Singh are also on the list of BJP's star campaigners for Assam.

Bhojpuri actors Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kisan will also have the responsibility to campaign for party candidates.

Polling for the 126-member Assam assembly will be held on March 27, April 1 and April 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

BJP has announced the first list of 71 candidates for Phase-I and Phase-II Assam Assembly Elections 2021. Of the 71 candidates, the party has given tickets to 11 new candidates. It has also fielded candidates on seats that were earlier held by its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and former partner Bodoland Peoples' Front (BDF).

In 2016, the BJP scripted history and formed the government for the first time in the state ending Congress's 15-year rule. BJP and its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) won a combined 86 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly. BJP bagged 60 seats, AGP 14 and BPF 12 seats.

This time the BPF has joined the Congress-led coalition 'Mahajath' after breaking away from the BJP-led alliance.