Srikkanth to campaign for BJP

CHENNAI: After cricketer Navjot SinghSidhu''s entry into the BJP, former Indian skipper Krishnamachari Srikkanth onTuesday decided to campaign for the BJP and its allies in the coming Lok Sabhapolls.Announcing his decision in the presence of BJP President MVenkaiah Naidu, Srikkanth said that he had not joined the BJP, but decided tocampaign for the party as a ''long innings'' by Prime Minister Vajpayee woulddevelop the country as a super power."I will play my natural game(aggressive) in the campaign as I do in cricket," he said."I amattracted by the call of the BJP that all intelligentsia, sportspersons andevery section of the society to join the national mainstream. There is no use ofpeople like us remaining on the backfoot", he said. He said theBJP''s campaign theme ''India Shining'' was a real one in every field. "India isdoing well in every field. Even in Cricket, we are shining now''.Dueto his personal commitment, he was not joining the party now, but would considerit at a later stage, he added.He said he would be campaigning forthe BJP all over the country and would be present when Deputy Prime Minister L KAdvani launch the ''Bharat Uday Yatra'' at Kanyakumari on Wednesday.Hesaid he had decided to campaign on his own. BJP had approached him but that didnot force him, he said.BJP has a very good team, captained byVajpayee with solid and good players like Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani,Venkaiah Naidu, Pramod Mahajan and Arun Jaitley. ''The team could perform well'',he said.When asked who would open the innings with him, he said ''anybody''.