BJP's Gandhi emerges as a poster boy in Allahabad

Allahabad, June 12  Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's name may be doing rounds as the chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh, but it is Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi who has emerged as the BJP "poster boy" here with hundreds of his hoardings dotting the city where the party is holding its two-day National Executive conclave.

Alongside Varun Gandhi's hoardings and posters of varying sizes in the city are those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

The party leaders have gathered in Allahabad to brainstorm the strategy for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, which are due next year. The National Executive meet will be attended by Modi, Shah and other top brass of the party.

The party has almost painted the city saffron with its posters and hoarding on either side of the roads -- from railway station and airport to K.P. School ground, where the BJP conclave is being held. 

However, it is the BJP's Gandhi who is most seen on these posters. One of them, with larger than life image of Varun Gandhi, reads: "UP ki karun pukar, abki baar BJP sarkar (UP's passionate call for a BJP government this time) "

A grand reception awaited Varun Gandhi, who was scheduled to reach here later in the day. "He will be brought to the venue from the airport in a grand procession," one of Varun Gandhi supporters told IANS.

Posters of other leaders like Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya could also be seen around. But surprisingly, former union minister and member of party's Margdarshak Mandal Murali Manohar Joshi is missing from all of them.

Former BJP General Secretary Sanjay Joshi and disgruntled LOk Sabha member Shatrughan Sinha also figure in some of the posters.

Many posters, however, also detail out the achievements of the Modi government in the last two years of its central rule.

The poster war is seen as a reflection of an infighting within the party.

"There is nothing going to happen by such poster war. Ultimately the party's parliamentary board will decide the chief ministerial candidate," Maurya said.

However, one of the district presidents of the party told IANS that Varun is obviously emerging as a youth leader and Rajnath Singh has become party's face in Uttar Pradesh, but it is only Yogi Adityanath who can end party's exile from the power in the state.

"The urban voters are already with the party and it needs rural votes now. Yogi could be the best choice," the district president added.