Prime Minister Narendra Modi flanked by BJP President J P Nadda and Union Minister Amit Shah.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda will flag off 'Parivartan Yatras' from Dantewada and Jashpur in poll-bound Chhattisgarh on September 12 and 16, respectively, a party leader said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the culmination of these yatras in Bilaspur, he said.
The opposition BJP will highlight the 'failures' of the Bhupesh Baghel government on various fronts during the Parivartan yatras, which will be marked by organising rallies and road shows, the BJP leader said.
These yatras will collectively cover a distance of 2,989 km across 87 of the total 90 assembly constituencies.
'The first 'Parivartan Yatra' will be flagged off by Amit Shah after taking blessings of Maa Danteshwari in Dantewada (south Chhattisgarh) on September 12 at a public rally,' state BJP president Arun Sao said in a press conference here.
The 16-day Yatra will cover a distance of 1,728 km visiting 21 districts, he said.
The second 'Parivartan Yatra' will be flagged off by J P Nadda in Jashpur (north Chhattisgarh) on September 16. This yatra will cover a distance of 1,261 km in 12 days in the Bilaspur and Surguja divisions, Sao added.
'Both the Yatras, which will see 84 public meetings, 85 swagat sabhas (welcome gatherings) and seven road shows, will culminate in Bilaspur on the same day after covering a distance of 2,989 km across 87 assembly segments. PM Modi is expected to attend the concluding function,' Sao said.
Queried on the exclusion of three Assembly segments (out of the total 90) from the route of the yatras, Sao said Bijapur, Sukma, and Antagarh constituencies (all Maoist-affected) have not been included in the itinerary.
'We will engage local residents in the yatra when it passes through the adjoining constituencies,' he added.
Sao said senior leaders from the Centre and Chhattisgarh will participate in the yatras. 'Senior state leaders will attend both the yatras for two days each,' he added.
In the 2018 assembly polls, Congress handed a massive defeat to BJP which had been in power for 15 years under Raman Singh. The Congress had won 68 constituencies and BJP just 15.
The saffron party had last month released its first list of candidates for 21 seats which it had ceded to Congress in the last polls even though the EC is yet to announce the schedule of the upcoming assembly elections, due later this year.