UP BJP State head quarter turns central halt; Parivartan Rath Yatras meet at Lucknow

Mr Keshav Maurya, BJP State president;Union Home Minster, Raj Nath Singh;Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti; Union Minister Kalraj Mishra in Lucknow

Suchit Bajpai; Lucknow

The BJP’s first pre-poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh ends in a mega road show in the state capital on Saturday afternoon when all four Parivartan Yatras— starting from different parts of the state last month— conclude in the City of Nawabs.

The event was attended by party chain of command like Union minister Rajnath Singh, who will join BJP national vice-president and state in-charge Om Mathur, Union Minister Kalraj Mishra, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti and state party chief Keshav Maurya, who rode a modified Rath called ‘Vijay Rath’ towards Hazratganj crossing.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to address a Maha Parivartan rally in Lucknow on Saturday, but the schedule of PM’s visit has changed and now he will address a rally in the city on January 2.

The Parivartan Yatra that started from Saharanpur on November 5 entered Lucknow from Sitapur Road led by legislature party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna. The second Yatra starting from Jhansi on November 6 arrived Lucknow via Hardoi Road led by state chief Keshav Prasad Maurya, while Union minister Kalraj Mishra Mishra led the rally. the Yatra kicked off at Sonebhadra on November 8 and entered Lucknow from Rae Bareli Road. Meanwhile, Uma Bharti headed the Yatra that was started in Ballia on November 9 and reached Lucknow through Faizabad Road.

All four Yatras joined together at Moti Mahal lawns around 1 pm; and thereafter moves towards Hazratganj crossing led by Rajnath Singh in a roadshow.

The Yatras was finally ended at Hazratganj crossing, near the BJP state headquarters, where party leaders garlanded the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Bhimrao Ambedkar, Sardar Patel and Uda Devi.

BJP’s Lucknow Mahanagar unit had been directed to deck up crossings, bus stations, railways stations and prominent places of public gathering in saffron to give people the idea of a ‘wave of change’ in favour of the BJP. All party MPs, MLAs, state office-bearers and national office-bearers from UP had been invited to the event.

Parivartan Yatra convener and party national secretary Mahendra Singh has said that the rallies have been very successful and the public had supported them by turning up in large numbers to listen to leaders speak in all 403 Assembly constituencies.

In total, the four Yatras continued for 192 days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed Parivartan rallies in all six divisions of the state. Besides, around 172 leaders, including almost all Union ministers and top BJP leaders participated in these Yatras. BJP president Amit Shah had flagged off the four Yatras and even addressed rallies at various points.