The 49 day long `Parivartan Yatra’ by the BJP to boost its electoral prospects culminated in lucknow with Union Home minister and lucknow MP Rajnath Singh presiding over the concluding function at Moti Mahal lawns on Saturday.
Addressing party wokers, Singh said that back-to-back rule by the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party for more than a decade has banished good governance from the state.
“The BJP will usher in an era of good governance in UP and the success of Parivartan Yatra has proved that the people of the state were eager for a change. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked strenuously for putting the country at a high pedestal on the international arena,” he stressed.
The Union minister said that the state-wide Yatra which covered all Assembly segments received overwhelming public support and was a historic success. “The success of the Parivartan Yatra has surpassed all previous such programmes organised by the BJP,” Singh commented.
Rebutting Opposition allegations on demonetisation, Singh said, “The ban on high value notes is not an electoral issue for the party. Initially, the move caused hardships to the masses but in the long run this will immensely benefit the economy and also the common people.’’
State BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya said that the Yatra covered a distance of over 17,000 km in all 403 Assembly segments of the state and during its course the PM addressed six huge public meetings.
“Besides, 26 Union ministers also addressed public meetings at various places in the state. During the month-and-a-half long Yatra, BJP leaders established direct contact with over 2 crore people across the state,” said Maurya.
The Parivartan Yatras were taken out from four places in UP. On November 5, the Yatra began from Saharanpur, thenextday from Jhansi, on November 8 from Sonbhadra and November 9 from Ballia.
The Parivartan Yatra from Saharanpur entered lucknow from Sitapur Road led by BJP legislature party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna. The second from Jhansi made its way into the state capital via Hardoi Road and was led by state BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya, while Union minister Kalraj Mishra Mishra led the Yatra kicked off from Sonebhadra which entered lucknow through Rae Bareli Road. Union minister Uma Bharti headed the Yatra that started from Ballia and reached the state capital through Faizabad Road.
All four Yatras concluded at Moti Mahal lawns near KD Singh Babu stadium on Saturday. The Yatras were accorded rousing reception at the lawns by BJP leaders and cadres. later senior BJP leaders reached hazratganj in a procession where they garlanded statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Dr BR Ambedkar.
Convenor of the Yatra Mahendra Singh said that the success of the Yatra has boosted the morale of rank and file of the party and now they would devote their time and energy for the success of the candidates in next Assembly polls.
During the Yatra, the party focussed on issues like development, good governance and accountability of parties rather than any particular leader. It also cornered the SP regime on poor law and order and unfulfilled promises by CM Akhilesh Yadav.
The BJP also used the occasion to dispel misgivings among people over demonetisation. Its social media team also played an important role in the Yatra’s success to enrol new voters and sent message of the party to over 14 crore voters.