Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls this time witnessed a generation shift with many bigwigs including Samajwadi Party (SP) patron Mulayam Singh Yadav and Congress boss Sonia Gandhi missing the campaign trail in the first two phases. After the pre-poll alliance of Samajwadi Party and Congress, their leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi have bounced to the centrestage of campaigning. While Mulayam has kept himself away in the first two phases, Sonia Gandhi has also not joined campaign due to health reasons. In Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) camp, senior leaders like L. K. Advani too have not addressed even a single meeting. Bollywood star Shatrughan Sinha, who has campaigned in previous polls, is also missing from action.

Source: Mint February 12, 2017 11:10 UTC