BJP keeps Ajay Mishra away from campaigning in Uttar Pradesh

Notwithstanding union minister Ajay Mishra's continuance in the union cabinet despite vociferous demand for his sacking by the Opposition over his son's alleged involvement in the killing of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri in October, BJP has kept him away from election campaigning in Uttar Pradesh so far.

According to the sources in the UP BJP here, barring Mishra, all the other ministers in the union cabinet who hailed from UP had been entrusted with election related tasks.

Although Mishra had shared the stage with union home minister Amit Shah on the inaugural day of the All India DGP Conference in Lucknow last month, the BJP state leadership had not invited him to take part in the organisational meetings held to discuss electoral strategy.

Although it was not clear if Mishra would be sharing stage with PM Narendra Modi, who was scheduled to address a public meeting on Saturday at Shahjahanpur, the neighboring district of Lakhimpur Kheri from where he was the MP, sources in the saffron party said that the possibility of him being present on the stage was 'remote'.

Read | Caste comes to Ajay Mishra's aid as BJP fears 'Brahmin' backlash

Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders have asked Modi not to share stage with Mishra. "The prime minister should not allow Mishra to share the stage with him given his son's involvement in the Lakhimpur violence," said a senior SP leader here.

"We don't want any controversy. Involving Mishra in the campaign may invite criticism from the Opposition parties and others," said a senior UP BJP leader while speaking to DH here.

Sources said that the saffron party also did not want Mishra to be grilled by the media especially after he recently allegedly grabbed a scribe by his collar and abused him when the latter asked for his response on the SIT's revelations that the Lakhimpur Kheri violence was pre-planned.

Watch latest videos by DH here: