Modi, Sonia, Nitish to campaign in Bihar

Star BJP campaigner Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are set to hit the campaign trail in Bihar along with the state's two best known faces: Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad.

Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will address rallies, hold road shows and meet party leaders and workers this week. So will RJD chief Lalu Pradad.

Modi will address meetings in Sasaram -- outgoing Lok Sabha Speaker and Congress leader Meira Kumar's constituency -- and Gaya Thursday.

Modi addressed two rallies in Purnea and Muzaffarpur earlier.

Sonia Gandhi will address two rallies in Bihar in the first week of April -- also in Sasaram and Aurangabad, Congress leader Premchand Mishra said.

Meira Kumar is pitted against the BJP's Chedi Paswan, a former minister, and the ruling Janata Dal-United's K.P. Ramiah, a former IAS officer.

Nitish Kumar will launch his campaign March 25 addressing four public meetings a day, JD-U state president Vasisht Narain Singh said.

JD-U president Sharad Yadav, who is contesting from Madhepura, will be another major attraction.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad has been at it for some time.

"Lalu has been addressing three to four public meetings daily and trying to reach out to as many people as possible in rural areas," RJD leader Ejaj Ahmad said.

Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan, now allied with the BJP, will camp in Jamui from where his son Chirag Paswan is contesting the Lok Sabha battle.

Ram Vilas Paswan is contesting for his traditional Hajipur seat.

According to Congress leaders here, party vice president Rahul Gandhi will visit Bihar and address public meetings for the second phase of the polls April 17.

Rahul Gandhi will address rallies in Samastipur, Muzaffarpur and Supaul constituencies.

Besides Modi, other leading campaigners for the BJP will include party president Rajnath Singh, L.K. Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.