Lucknow, Oct 30 (IANS) Cricketer-turned-Congress MP Mohammed Azharuddin Friday
went around the streets of the walled city campaigning for the party’s nominee for the Uttar Pradesh bye-elections Nov 7.

The charismatic cricketer drew huge crowds as he went on a roadshow along the lanes and bylanes of Lucknow (West) assembly segment.

While he did not address any rally, he exuded confidence that his presence alone would break the monopoly of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on this seat.

“Even Moradabad was described as a BJP stronghold to me when I stepped in there for the first time. You have seen how we demolished the BJP there and now you will see the Congress repeating that here,” Azharuddin told reporters.

Meanwhile BJP candidate Amit Puri has pumped in all his resources to give the Congress a tough time in the four cornered contest. His candidature was finalized after a prolonged tug-of-war with veteran BJP leader and now Lucknow MP Lalji Tandon, who had tried to get his son the party ticket for the seat.

The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded a lesser known lawyer Abhinav Misra, while Samajwadi Party was trying its luck with party veteran Bhukkal Nawab.