Stars flicker in UP poll galaxy
Lucknow: Celluloid arclights seem to have little impact on voters of Uttar Pradesh this general election with many celebrities, barring 'Dream Girl' Hema Malini and Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishan, finding the going tough as per available trends.
Malini, fighting to retain her Mathura seat, appears all set to make another successful foray at the hustings, establishing a lead of over 1.47 lakh votes over her nearest rival Kunwar Narendra Singh of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).
Ravi Kishan, who is fighting from Gorakhpur, is another actor set to enter the Lok Sabha.
In the electoral fray to avenge the defeat of BJP in the by-elections, the Bhojpuri actor has established the lead of 2.35 lakh votes over Ram Bhuwal Nishad of Samajwadi Party (SP).
It, however, does not appear to be a happy outing for actor Jaya Prada from Rampur, where she is trailing behind controversial SP leader Azam Khan by a margin of about 75,000 votes.
Jaya Prada's campaign trail touched an unprecedented low with Khan making personal attack on her, inviting the wrath of the Election Commission. The poll body had barred the SP leader from campaigning for 72 hours.
Congress state unit chief Raj Babbar is another cine star whose electoral prospects seem to be dwindling, as per the counting trends.
Babbar is trailing by over 1.33 lakh votes behind BJP's Raj Kumar Chahar from Fatehpur Sikri.
Another Bhopuri star Dinesh Yadav 'Nirahua' of BJP is also facing a tough contest at the hands of SP president Akhilesh Yadav in Azamgarh and was trailing by 96,000 votes.
In a tough 'battle of ballots' in the state capital Lucknow, former 'Miss Young India' Poonam Sinha, wife of actor Shatrughan Sinha, was also trailing by 2.34 lakh votes.
