Lucknow, Feb. 8: Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple today injected colour into a "dull" Samajwadi campaign, her three Agra rallies prompting comparisons with celebrities who had graced the party's past road shows.
The events today were not entirely bereft of star power, though - veteran actress and Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan accompanied Dimple, also an MP, to the city of the Taj Mahal.
"Our campaign was dull so far because unlike his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh was against using Bollywood actresses. But Dimple can make a difference," said a Samajwadi leader.
Local party leaders had announced that actress Vidya Balan would also attend today's programmes, but she did not. More than Vidya's absence though, the party's women supporters seemed dismayed at another VIP no-show - Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
While there had been rumours about a joint show with Priyanka, whose Congress party is an ally of the Samajwadis, some leaders close to Akhilesh said he had made it clear yesterday that Priyanka was not part of the itinerary for now. Dimple and Priyanka had not even met so far, the leaders said.
Speculation about Priyanka had gained ground also because a Samajwadi campaign vehicle used occasionally by the chief minister has photos of her and Dimple alongside those of Akhilesh and Rahul Gandhi. The Congress vice-president and Akhilesh have addressed two joint rallies.
Yesterday, actress Juhi Babbar had held road shows in Agra for Samajwadi candidates. She is the daughter of veteran actor and state Congress chief Raj Babbar.
Asked by journalists why she did not start campaigning earlier, Dimple said today: "It is important for us to ensure that our party forms the government again because it is doing a lot of good work for the people."
At her rallies, the two-time MP from Kannauj touched on a range of issues, including demonetisation that the Centre has defended as a crackdown on black money.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision of demonetisation has weakened the rural as well as the urban economy. Our artisans and small traders have suffered because of this decision. Demonetisation has also hit our women. I believe that every woman saves some money from her daily expenditures," Dimple told a rally in Agra Cantonment.
Then, she asked the crowd: "Tell me whether they do so (save money or not?". "Yes," the women roared back.
"You were forced to put that money in banks. It was not black money, it was hard-earned," she said.
Dimple promised to double women's pension if the Samajwadi was voted back. "The state government has given Samajwadi pension to 55 lakh poor women. We will give Rs 1,000 per month to one crore poor women in the future," she said at another of the rallies, her speech interrupted by youths who kept chanting " Akhilesh bhaiyya, zindabad (long live elder brother Akhilesh)".
Dimple also referred to a Samajwadi manifesto promise that has become a talking point - smartphones for youths - and declared her party would fulfil the pledge.
