Almost a month after a controversy erupted over absence of Narendra Modi's pictures during Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra', banners showing images of the Gujarat Chief Minister dotted the Yatra route in the western district of the state on Tuesday.
Posters and banners with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaign committee chief Narendra Modi's photos and his ‘Yes, We Can’ slogan that he had used during a Hyderabad rally earlier this month, were seen through the route of Chouhan's Yatra here. The highlight of the banners and posters were that Chouhan was posed as the future of the Madhya Pradesh while Modi was posed as the future of the country.
Many Single pictures of Modi were also seen, but below them were written schemes of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. The Madhya Pradesh chief minister's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' had started on July 22 from Ujjain and the absence of Modi's pictures had triggered speculations about the rivalry and differences between the two BJP leaders.
Chouhan addressed seven meetings during the 140 km long route and covered 37 villages. During his speeches, he attacked the Congress-led UPA government over its "failure" to arrest the decline of a rupee against the US dollar. "The decline in the value of the rupee amounts to lowering the dignity of the people of the country," Chouhan said. He also criticised the Centre for not giving a "befitting reply" to Pakistan for its misadventures along the border. "Even smaller countries have gathered enough courage to stare at India," he said.
Chouhan also highlighted various welfare schemes launched by his government for the development of the state and urged people to support and vote for BJP. As the region is considered as the stronghold of the RSS hence it is considered that to impress the hardcore Hindutava vote bank posters and banner of Modi were largely used.