Patna: The central leadership of the BJP has given preference to young leaders from Bihar over seniors for stumping in poll-bound Karnataka.

Not a single senior leader from the state, including Sushil Kumar Modi, Nand Kishore Yadav and party president Nityanand Rai, have been asked by the central leadership to campaign in Karnataka. Rather young faces, including health minister Mangal Pandey, Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha state unit president Nitin Navin, Digha MLA Sanjeev Chourasia, Jale MLA Jivesh Kumar and Goh MLA Manoj Kumar have been asked to work for the party in the southern state.

Pandey, who is party in-charge for Himachal Pradesh, has been given the responsibility of central Karnataka in which 37 Assembly constituencies spread over Simoga, Chitra Durga, Dhavalgir, Tumkur and Chikmagalur districts fall. Nitin, Sanjeev, Jivesh and Manoj have been deputed in the same region and they have been given responsibility of a district each.

Young leader from Bihar, Sanjay Mayukh, who is party national media in-charge, has been deputed in Karnataka till the elections and he is looking after media-related works there. "The names of the leaders were finalised by the central leadership and the state unit played no role in their selection," a BJP insider said.

A senior leader said: "Most of the young leaders from Bihar who have gone to Karnataka would be doing booth-related work mainly and they have been given the task of micro-management of the poll and mobilising the party workers for poll-related work."