Two senior BJP leaders, Rajnath Singh and Kalraj Mishra, are miffed over senior colleague L.K. Advani’s Janchetna Yatra, which has overshadowed their Jan Swabhiman Yatras undertaken in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. These leaders, it was learnt, are of the view that while Mr Advani’s nationwide yatra against
corruption is getting publicity as well as cadre support, their yatras are lacking both. Assembly elections in UP are scheduled for next year.
Sources disclosed that both Mr Singh and Mr Mishra, miffed over the lack of media coverage and workers’ support to their Jan Swabhiman yatras, raised this issue before the BJP top brass. These two leaders insisted their yatras were equally important for the party, which desperately wants to increase its number in the state.
Some of the state unit leaders, sources said, have told the party top brass that the Jan Swabhiman yatras are turning out to be a “futile exercise”.
These leaders were of the view that the Jan Swabhiman yatras have failed to make a major impact in the state, where Mr Advani’s yatra had crossed 10 days back. Also, the Jan Swabhiman yatras are not getting much publicity as most of the national media is “interested in Mr Advani’s yatra”. Most of the party cadre has also been involved in Mr Advani’s yatra.
“The party managers failed to chalk out a proper schedule for both Jan Chetna and Jan Swabhiman yatras. While Advaniji’s yatra is aimed at garnering support against corruption at the national level, one should not forget that in UP elections are scheduled next year. They (BJP top brass) could have postponed either of the two yatras,” said a senior party functionary from UP.
While Mr Singh covered more than 100 Assembly constituencies and covered around 1,300 km in the first phase of the Jan Swabhiman yatra, which ended on Saturday, Mr Mishra has covered 74 constituencies and covered a distance of 1,300 km.
The second phase of the Jan Swabhiman yatras will begin on November 9 and both yatras will conclude in Ayodhya on November 17 where BJP top brass and state unit leaders will address the Vijay Sankalp Samagam.