Advani campaigns in Vidisha on Saturday. (PTI)

Vidisha, Nov. 22: One sadhvi fashioned the BJP’s 2003 landslide in Madhya Pradesh, another could become its mascot in this year’s close contest.

L.K. Advani today signalled that the alleged police torture of Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur would be a major plank in the state polls.

“Don’t be surprised if posters of the sadhvi come up soon in Jabalpur, Indore or Bhind (places associated with Pragya),” a Sangh parivar source said.

Advani mentioned Pragya for the first time in the state’s poll campaign, telling a public meeting in Vidisha, 60km from Bhopal, that the blast probe was politically motivated and the sadhvi had been turned into a pawn.

The remarks come three days after Advani’s previous comments in Chhattisgarh about the “barbaric treatment” of Pragya — and the “politically motivated and unprofessional” blast probe —had prompted the Prime Minister to call him and promise to share the facts of the probe.

After national security adviser M.K. Narayanan did just that yesterday, the BJP appeared to refrain from attacking the investigation and focus only on the “torture” of Pragya.

But today, Advani was back to accusing the Maharashtra anti-terrorist squad of acting “unprofessionally” and the Congress of using the arrests for political gain. He, however, did not claim that Pragya was innocent.

Advani said Pragya was detained illegally for 16 days before her arrest, tortured physically and interrogated without any policewoman being present.

He reeled off several other charges: the authorities’ “inspired” leaks and attempts to link terror to a particular religion, to derive political mileage and to malign the Sangh parivar.

Advani’s thrust on Pragya comes at a time the BJP, led to victory by Uma Bharti five years ago, fears she would cut into its votes this year. Most BJP ministers and senior leaders in the fray are locked in tight, multi-corner contests that have made the November 27 elections too close to call.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has repeatedly declined to comment on Pragya, perhaps embarrassed by old photographs showing them together at an event.

Advani referred to his phone conversation with Manmohan Singh to say: “I have sought his response to the specific issues raised in sadhvi Pragya’s affidavit (alleging police torture).”