Three CMs, six Union ministers to kickstart BJP campaign for first phase of Gujarat polls today

Ahmedabad: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party will conduct a "carpet bombing" campaign for 82 out of 89 seats going to polls in the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections on Friday.

The chief ministers of three states, six Union ministers and six other national leaders will cover 46 Assembly seats while state leaders will campaign in 36 seats on a single day, said state BJP chief C R Paatil.

It will launch the party's campaigning for the candidates in the first phase, he said.

The last day for withdrawal of nominations for the first phase was Thursday.

As per the party tradition, the BJP will launch "carpet bombing" programmes of public meetings across 82 of 89 seats, Paatil said. BJP president J P Nadda, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Uttar

Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma will be in Gujarat

on Friday.

Union ministers who will take part in campaigning are Nitin Gadkari, Narendra Singh Tomar, Anurag Thakur, Faggan Singh Kulaste, V K Singh and Bharati Pawar.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, UP deputy CM Brijesh Pathak, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari,

BJP Yuva Morcha national president Tejasvi Surya

and MP Jamyang

Tsering Namgyal are also in the list of national leaders

who will hit the campaign trail of Friday.