Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani filed their nominations on Sunday from their Uttar Pradesh constituencies, each rather unusually accompanied by a chief minister from another state in an apparent attempt to target specific groups of voters.

While Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav stood beside Irani on the back of a truck as her road show meandered from her home in Amethi to the district collectorate, Uttarakhand’s Pushkar Singh Dhami did the honours for Rajnath in
Lucknow.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy Brajesh Pathak too were part of Rajnath’s 2km road show from the state BJP headquarters in the city to the collector’s office.

It is unusual even for the local chief minister — let alone those from other states — to accompany candidates during the filing of nomination.

Dhami was drafted in apparently to gain the support of the substantial numbers
of Uttarakhand natives who live in Rajnath’s constituency: it is said that a “small
Uttarakhand” lives in Lucknow.

Amethi has a sizeable Yadav population that has traditionally backed the Samajwadi Party, which will this time support whoever the Congress fields from the constituency as the common INDIA candidate.

With speculation identifying Rahul Gandhi as the possible nominee — whose candidature would confront Irani with a formidable challenge — the BJP hopes that Mohan Yadav’s presence by her side would help entice away a slice of Yadav voters.

Rahul had represented Amethi from 2004 to 2019 before losing to Irani by
about 55,000 votes in the last election.

Irani, reacting to talk of Rahul’s candidature after filing her nomination, said: “He has been missing from Amethi for a long time. People don’t vote for such leaders.”

Rahul had last visited Amethi on February 19 this year during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

“He (Rahul) should also clarify why he took the help of a leader of the Popular Front of India, an extremist group, in Wayanad,” Irani, the women and child development minister, said.

The PFI was banned in 2022 because of its allegedly radical approach. The BJP alleges that Rahul, the Wayanad MP, contested from the Kerala constituency this time with the support of an alleged PFI leader. Wayanad voted on April 26.

Defence minister Rajnath, seeking a third consecutive victory from Lucknow, performed a jalabhishek to Lord Shiva in the Hanuman Setu temple here before setting off for the collectorate.

He is pitted against Ravidas Mehrotra, sitting Samajwadi MLA from Lucknow Central who is known for his tireless work among the masses.

State Congress president Ajay Rai told The Telegraph: “A Congress victory is certain in Amethi because (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has failed to work for the masses and has enacted policies that only favour the rich.”

Union Minister and BJP candidate Rajnath Singh with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami before filing his nomination papers for Lok Sabha elections, at the party office, in Lucknow. PTI

Party national spokesperson Abhay Dubey said Rajnath and Irani had done nothing for the people. He alleged that as defence minister, Rajnath had “compromised with India’s security”.

“Chinese forces are camping in Ladakh; we cannot do patrolling there. China has also shown 30 areas of Arunachal Pradesh on its national map. Why does the government fear them (the Chinese)?” Dubey asked.

On Irani, he said: “She went there to work for the people but got her own house built.”

Irani is from Mumbai and has built a house for herself in Amethi. Rajnath is from Chandauli but has lived in Lucknow for a long time. He was Uttar Pradesh chief minister from October 2000 to March 2002.

Amethi and Lucknow vote on May 20