Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, ends a series of UP rallies with what his party is calling the Vijay Shankhnaad rally in state capital Lucknow. (Read more)
UP sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha and traditionally plays a key role in government formation. It has also given the country eight of its 14 Prime Ministers.
Mr Modi's poll managers in Uttar Pradesh have pulled out all stops for today's show in Lucknow, which was the constituency of the party's only PM so far, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The BJP claims over five lakh people will attend; 29 trains and 5,200 buses will ferry crowds to the Rama Ambedkar ground. Sources said the effort has cost about Rs 3.2 crore.
Mr Modi is yet to choose a constituency for the Lok Sabha elections and there has been a consistent buzz, denied so far by the BJP, that he could contest from UP.
As has happened several times recently, Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, along with son Akhilesh,who is chief minister of the state, will address a rally in UP on the same day as Mr Modi. And at the same time.
A war of words is expected.
Mulayam Singh will campaign in Allahabad in his first rally since he signed up to be part of an 11-party front that will fight elections together to counter the Congress and the BJP. Mr Yadav is said to fancy his chances as a potential PM if his front gets a chance to form government at the Centre.
Also in UP today is Arvind Kejriwal, who has projected his Aam Aadmi Party as the real alternative to the mainstream political parties. His AAP, which has said it will contest over 300 seats, too is pitching its leader as a potential prime minister.
Mr Kejriwal is taking his UP roadshow to Kanpur today.
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