Jan Ashirwad Yatras: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and the BJP's senior leader Uma Bharti seemed disappointed after being overlooked by the ruling party for the ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ which was flagged off by BJP national chief JP Nadda from Chitrakoot in Satna district on Sunday.
'They are nervous'
Uma Bharti stated that she has not been invited to the Jan Ashirwad Yatra. "Maybe they (the BJP leaders) are nervous that if I'm there, then entire public attention will be on me," Bharti said without taking the name of any party leader. She said that the BJP had managed to defeat the Congress under her leadership in 2003 and since then the party has been in power. "If Jyotiraditya Scindia helped them form the government (in 2020), even I helped them form a bigger majority government (in 2003)," she added..
'I was worthy of being invited'
Talking about Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Bharti said she treated him like her nephew. "I love him (Scindia) as my nephew, but at least I was worthy of being invited to the yatra launch, even though I wouldn’t have gone there," she said. Nevertheless, Bharti also emphasized that she will continue to campaign for the BJP and actively seek votes for the party in the upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, the Congress took a dig at the ruling party and said that BJP has a habit of insulting all its leaders. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, who is in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, said, "BJP has sidelined former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani and forced (former Union Minister) Murli Manohar Joshi to retire."
BJP's five 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra'
BJP national president JP Nadda flagged off the party's 'Jan Ashirward Yatra' from Chitrakoot t in Satna district on Sunday. The second yatra will start from Khandwa district which will also be attended by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and the third will be flagged off by Home Minister Amit Shah from Mandla. Meanwhile,Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will flag off Jan Ashirwad Yatra from Khandwa on September 6.
Moreover, the fifth Yatra will start from Baroda Nagar in Sheopur on September 6 and will reach Bhopal via Raisen. According to reports, prominent party leaders including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Cabinet Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Kailash Vijayvargiya will participate in this yatra.
PM Modi to address gathering on Sept 25
Following the culmination of all five yatras in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address a gathering which will be attended by around one million workers in Bhopal on September 25, the birth anniversary of Deendayal Upadhyaya.
It should be mentioned here that Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled to be held at the end of this year to elect all 230 members in Madhya Pradesh. The tenure of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end in January 2024.
2018 assembly elections
In the November 2018 MP assembly polls, the Congress won 114 of 230 seats while the BJP finished second with 109 seats. The Congress formed a coalition government with the support of independents, BSP, and SP under Kamal Nath. However, it collapsed after 15 months when a string of Congress MLAs led by Jyotiraditya Scindia, now a Union minister, joined the BJP, paving the way for Chouhan's return as CM.
Also Read: Madhya Pradesh: BJP chief JP Nadda flags off party's ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra' in Chitrakoot
Also Read: Shivraj Singh Chouhan govt in Madhya Pradesh to provide thali meal at Rs 5 now
