PM Modi to address the mega workers’ convention on Sept 25

PM Modi to address the mega workers’ convention on Sept 25

PM Modi to address the mega workers’ convention on Sept 25

In a major deviation from the past three times, the Madhya Pradesh BJP has decided to conduct its pre-poll ‘Jan Ashirwad (public blessings) Yatra’ from September 3 under ‘collective leadership’, rather than Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alone leading it.

This time, there will be five simultaneous yatras taken out from five regions of the state and each will last for 17-18 days. Senior leaders including CM Chouhan, convener of the BJP election management committee Narendra Singh Tomar, Union minister Jyotiradiya Scindia, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and other senior leaders will participate in the yatras at different places throughout it course, state BJP chief V.D. Sharma said at a press conference on Monday.

During the 2008, 2013 and 2018 polls, Chouhan alone led the yatras atop a specially designed vehicle, visiting a maximum of the 230 assembly constituencies and making different announcements. The yatra would commence around mid-July and conclude by September 25 or even later, but would not be able to visit all the constituencies.

Sharma and Tomar, who was also present at the press conference, mentioned that the ‘decentralised’ simultaneous yatras were planned by the party seniors to ensure that all the constituencies were touched. This time, 210 constituencies will be covered in 18 days and the 20 constituencies in and around Bhopal will be included in the culmination programme.

Later, answering a question about the CM face for this time, Tomar said that the priority of the party was to collectively fight the elections and bring back a BJP government. He said Chouhan is the chief minister of the state at present and the next chief minister will be decided by the party central leadership after the polls. He exuded confidence that the BJP will form a full majority government again in the state.

There have been questions floating about the decision of the party to deviate from the CM Chouhan-led yatras and at one point there were talks that the Jan Ashiward Yatra will be given a total miss this time. However, the party has decided to go ahead with a changed format, sending strong indications about collective leadership.

Chouhan has, however, tried to compensate during the past two months by holding government events like ‘Vikas Parva’ in 25 districts as well as numerous ‘Ladli Behna conventions, at each of which made major announcements for development works.

PM Modi for culmination event

Sharma mentioned that while the yatras will end on September 21, the formal culmination will be in the form of a mega workers’ convention on September 25 – the birth anniversary of the BJP ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya – in Bhopal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address around 10 lakh party workers coming in from over 65,000 booth committees.

Sharma said that the slogan of the yatras would be ‘phir iss baar; bhajapa ki sarkar’ (again this time; government of BJP) and the focus will be on reaching out the works of welfare of the poor and development in the state to the people, with accountability.

Shah, Rajnath, Nadda to flag-off

The first yatra for the Vindhya region will be flagged off by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on September 3 at Chitrakoot in Satna district. The second yatra for Mahakoshal region will be flagged off by Shah on September 5 from Mandla. Defence minister Rajnath Singh will flag off the third and fourth yatras for Indore and Ujjain regions from Khandwa and Neemuch respectively on September 4, while BJP national president J.P. Nadda will flag off the fifth yatra for Gwalior-Chambal region from Sheopur on September 6, Sharma said.

Together, the five yatras will cover 10,643 kms distance in 210 constituencies. They will be accorded welcome at 998 places. There will be 678 ‘rath sabhas’ (conventions) and 211 major conventions.