The 66-day long ‘Shiv Swarajya Yatra’ of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP—a 7,365 km journey that took its leaders to 19 districts across the state —  culminated on Wednesday at Islampur in Sangli district of sugar-rich western  Maharashtra where party chief  Sharad Pawar addressed a massive election rally.

State NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil had set off on the “Shiv Swarajya Yatra” on  from Shivneri Fort near Pune - the birthplace of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on August 9, a day that coincided with the 82nd anniversary of Quit India Movement.

The ‘Shiv Swarajya Yatra’ touched almost all the stronghold constituencies of the NCP (SP) where the party will field candidates in the State Assembly polls scheduled for November 20. Apart from Jayant Patil, the NCP (SP)’s leading campaigner and actor-turned Shirur MP  Amol Kolhe participated in the yatra.

The NCP (SP) leaders who participated in the Yatra tried to reach out to the voters in the 19 districts of the state, by harping on the alleged misdeeds of the Eknsth Shinde Sena-BJP- NCP (Ajit Pawar) NCP  grand alliance government .

At their rallies during the yatra, the NCP (SP) leaders spoke about the “deteriorating” law-and-order situation in the state, growing atrocities against women, the runaway inflation, spiraling unemployment, flight of industries from Maharashtra and, the farmers’ suicides caused by agrarian distress.

“During our Yatra, we managed to reach to at least one crore either directly or indirectly,” senior NCP (SP) associated with the Yatra said.

At Wednesday’s Islampur rally which marked the end of ‘Shiv Swarajya Yatra’,  NCP (SP) chief  — accompanied by Jayant Patil and other leaders - kick-started the party’s campaign for the State Assembly polls.

The NCP (SP), which is a part of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) -- is contesting the State Assembly polls in alliance with the Congress and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.  The MVA constituents are expected to announce their seat-sharing arrangement for the State Assembly polls either during the weekend or early next week.