Bengaluru | The BJP on Thursday took exception to the inclusion of Rajya Sabha member Imran Pratapgarhi in the list of 40 star campaigners of the Congress for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, calling him an "anti-national".

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and BJP's Karnataka Election Management Committee Convener Shobha Karandlaje sought to know the "connection" between Congress and gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad who was recently shot dead in Uttar Pradesh.

She alleged that Pratapgarhi, a poet-cum-politician, is a close friend of Ahmad and used to call the slain gangster as his "guru" and brother. He used to write poetry in praise of Ahmed, who used to take part in his 'mushaira' (a gathering in which poets recite Urdu poetry), Karandlaje said.

Defending the party's move, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh wondered why this question has emerged.

"Imran Pratapgarhi is the chairman of our party's minority cell and he will be coming. What is wrong with that? We are not calling the person who has committed a crime or is behind the bars," Vallabh told PTI.

BJP's Karandlaje asserted that a person who should have been arrested for standing in support of Atiq Ahmed has become the star campaigner for Congress.

"Despite knowing that Imran Pratapgarhi was involved in 'anti-national activities', you (Congress) send him to the Rajya Sabha and appoint him as Karnataka's star campaigner," she said, lashing out at the opposition party, which released its list of star campaigners on Wednesday.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged that the Congress is "allowing the entry of destructive elements and fundamentalists".

"Imran Pratapgarhi used to write poetry praising Atiq. Atiq too attended Pratapgarhi's poetry concerts. Imran's poems laud anti-nationals, anti-socials and instigated Muslims against Hindus," Trivedi claimed.

The ruling BJP is fighting the Assembly polls against its principal rival Congress while the JD(S) is also an important player in the state.

Karnataka will vote in a single phase on May 10 and the results are scheduled to be out on May 13.