Its chief spokesman, Ravi Shankar Prasad, while talking to the Press in New Delhi refuted, what he said, news reports that the former deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, would not campaign in Bihar. What the media, including BiharTimes, actually reported is that Advani would not campaign in the first phase of election––and not during the entire campaign––which is due on October 21. This news is cent per cent true as the party has not announced any programme of Advani for the first phase till yet. Even on Saturday Ravi Shankar was evasive when asked whether Advani would campaign in the first phase or not.

However, Ravi Shankar said that “there were reports that L K Advani will not campaign in Bihar as ally JD(U) has some reservations. I can say with full responsibility that these reports are totally misleading and false.”

“I talked to Nitish Kumar today and he asked me to inform the national media that he has no issues,” Ravi Shankar said.

Curiously, Nitish has himself not contradicted these media reports about Advani’s campaign. What the media actually reported is that some Janata Dal (United) leaders, including Nitish, have reservations in sharing dais with Advani and Ravi Shankar himself, especially after September 30 court verdict. And till date no such joint campaign had taken place in the state.

As most of the 47 seats, which go to poll on October 21 have sizeable Muslim population, Advani is not coming for campaign. He would be in Bihar for five days from October 19––the day the campaigning for the first phase of poll would be over.

However, Nitish is campaigning in the assembly constituencies from where the BJP is contesting. Of the 38 constituencies that BJP is contesting in the first two phases, Nitish has campaigned for 15 seats till now. Even on Saturday he sought vote for BJP’s Vijay Mishra from Jale seat in Darbhanga district.

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