In an effort to recapture power in Maharashtra in the Assembly polls due in October this year, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will launch an exhaustive 4,384 km-long ‘Mahajanadesh Yatra’ across the State from August 1.
Fadnavis will kick off his yatra at Mozari in Amarvati district in eastern Maharashtra on the occasion of the birth anniversary of social reformer Tukaram Bhaurao Sathe, popularly known as Annabahu Sathe and death anniversary of free fighter Bal Gangdhar Tilak.
“The Chief Minister will conclude his campaign tour at Nashik in north Maharashtra on August 31,” Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil said, while giving details of the ‘Mahajanadesh Yatra’.
With the BJP having already gone to town that it -- together with its alliance partner Shiv Sena -- will win more than 220 out of 288 seats in the State, Fadnavis will go to people with twin poll planks “Phir ek bar Shivshahi Sarkar” (Saffron alliance government once again) and “Ab ki baar 220 ke par”. (We’ll cross 220 seat mark this time).
The Yatra — during which he will reach out the BJP-led State Government’s achievements during the last five years — will take him to all regions —
Konkan (638 km), Western Maharashtra (812 km), Vidarbha (1232 km), North Maharashtra (633 km), Marathwada (1069 km) — in the State.
Fadnavis will travel on a special rath (van) equipped with a special LED screen to highlight the achievements of the BJP-Shiv Sena Government during the past five years.
In the first phase of his Yatra from August 1 and 9, Fadnavis will travel across 14 districts of Vidarbha and north Maharashtra, during which he will pass through 57 Assembly constituencies. In the second phase of his tour that will begin on August 17, Fadnavis will visit 93 Assembly constituencies in 18 districts of the State.
During his tour of 15o Assembly constituencies, the chief minister will address 85 big rallies, 75 small rallies and meet people in as many as 238 villages en route.
BJP state general secretary Sujitsinh Thakur has been entrusted with the responsibility of organizing the mega-yatra. All ministers have been asked to remain present at the inauguration on August 1, local legislators and ministers would be with him during the course of the yatra.
Fadnavis’ decision to restrict himself to touring 15o of the total 288 Assembly constituencies should be seen in the context of the fact that the ruling BJP will contest the Assembly polls in alliance with the Shiv Sena.
It may be recalled that on June 2, Chandrakant Patil said had gone to town saying that the BJP and ShivSena would contest 135 seats each in the State Assembly polls, setting aside the remaining 18 seats for our allies. During his tour, Fadnavis will mostly be concentrating on the seats currently held by the BJP and the ones it had contested and fared well in the 2014 Assembly elections.
In the 2014 polls which the saffron alliance partners had contested on their respective strengths, the BJP had put up candidates in 260 out of the total 288 constituencies. The BJP had won an all-time high of 122 seats in the polls.
On its part, the Shiv Sena had walked away with 63 seats out of 282 seats it had contested, while the Congress bagged 42 seats out of 287 seats it had contested. The NCP emerged fourth by winning 41 out of 278 it had contested.
