The seven newly inducted ministers from Uttar Pradesh in the Modi Modi government started ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ from Monday to seek the blessings of the people, which in political circles is seen as an attempt to increase the party's reach among the masses.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s state general secretary Govind Narayan Shukla, State Minister Sanjay Rai, and other ministers, party officials and a large number of workers gave a grand welcome to the Union ministers when they came out for the Jan Ashirwad Yatra.

Union Minister of State BL Verma started the Jan Ashirwad Yatra from Vrindavan in Mathura where he was given a grand welcome by the party workers at various places.

Boarding three different raths from Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport in Lucknow, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore and Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni went for seeking the blessings of the people in their Jan Ashirvad Yatra raths.

Chaudhary started his yatra from Basti whereas Kaushal Kishore Mohan took out the yatra from Unnao. Teni, the only Brahmin face from UP, took out the yatra in Sandila town of Hardoi.

Before the start of the yatra, the three union ministers said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was working for the development of all sections of society on the principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas.

“Even Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is working towards public welfare of all sections of society, including villages, poor, farmers, youth and women. Development works are being carried out with the blessings of the people and therefore we are going to take the blessings of the people,” the ministers said.

The yatra, which started on Monday, will continue till August 20 and will cover over 3,500 km while passing through three dozen Lok Sabha and more than 120 assembly constituencies of UP.

Minister of State for Cooperation BL Verma, who hails from Lodh community, started his yatra from Vrindavan in Mathura on August 16 and passed through Agra, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr before culminating it in Budaun on August 19.

Union Minister of State for Law and Justice SP Singh Baghel, an OBC, will start the yatra from Firozabad on August 18 and end it in Mathura. Union Minister of State for MSME, Bhanu Pratap Verma, a Kori, will start the yatra from Lalitpur on August 17 and move through Jhansi, Mahoba, Banda and Chitrakoot before ending the yatra in Fatehpur on August 19.

Minister of State for Housing, Kaushal Kishore, a Pasi Dalit, started the yatra from Unnao on August 16. He will move through Rae Bareli and Barabanki before culminating the yatra in Sitapur on August 18.

Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ajay Mishra Teni, a Brahmin, kicked off his yatra from Sandila in Hardoi. It will pass through Lakhimpur, Bahraich, Gonda and Ayodhya before culminating in Ambedkarnagar on August 19.