BJP's top guns hit campaign trail in Uttarakhand

Campaigning for the February 15 assembly elections in Uttarakhand gathered momentum today with a host of BJP star campaigners addressing a number of public meetings across the state to garner support for party candidates.

Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, J P Nadda, Piyush Goyal and Shanawaz Hussain were the prominent party faces to hit the campaign trail in the hilly state.

Shah addressed three rallies in Ghansali, Pauri and Ramnagar, while Gadkari addressed rallies in Gopeshwar, Agastmuni and Beeronkhal in Chaubattakhal constituency from where party heavyweight and Congress turncoat Satpal Maharaj is contesting.

Nadda was in Mussoorie and Vikasnagar whereas Piyush Goyal addressed a public meeting at Dharampur in Dehradun from where Mayor Vinod Chamoli is in the fray.

Shahnawaj Hussain was in Roorkee and Haridwar.

Addressing a rally in Ghansali, Shah said the entire country had thrown its weight behind BJP in its fight against corruption and appealed to people of the state to dislodge from power a government who he accused of looting its resources.

"Development funds coming from the Centre are swallowed by the corrupt. Mining, liquor and land mafia call the shots.

I am sure people will uproot the government plundering the state and help BJP form the next government which alone can bring about development," he said.

The BJP national president also spoke about the implementation of OROP as a major achievement of the BJP government at the Centre as the matter had been pending for 40 years and involved expenditure of huge funds.

He was accompanied by former chief minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, Mala Rajyalaksmi Shah, Tirath Singh Rawat and party candidate from the constituency Shaktilal Shah.

Addressing a rally at Gopeshwar in Chamoli district, Gadkari said by laying the foundation stone for a 900 km all weather road for Chardham, the Centre had expressed its commitment for the development of Uttarakhand.

The Union Minister expressed confidence that the BJP will form the next government in the state with absolute majority and change the face of the state.

Earlier, at a press conference in Dehradun after addressing a public meeting at Dharampur, Piyush Goyal said it was time to form a clean government in the state which "works for its development by judiciously tapping its vast potential in the tourism and hydro-electricity sectors.