Raipur, April 4: Keeping a hawk-eye on pulling off the BJP's third consecutive victory in the assembly polls later this year, Chief Minister Raman Singh will roll out his 2,700 km long Vikas Yatra May 6.
The blueprint for the six-phased yatra was drafted and approved at a key meeting at state BJP headquarters here Wednesday. It was attended by senior party leaders, including state president Ram Sewak Paikra and Ramesh Bais, the party's Lok Sabha MP from Raipur.
"Raman Singh will embark on a 2,700 km long journey May 6 from Dantewada with prayers at Maa Danteshwari temple. The journey will cover 81 out of the total 90 assembly seats and will conclude June 15 in tribal heartland of Surguja," said Shivratan Sharma, the BJP's state general secretary.
The chief minister's close aide and industry minister Rajesh Munat has been appointed coordinator of the yatra. Party leader Subhash Rao will be the co-coordinator.
Doctor-turned-politician Raman Singh, who is heading the saffron government in the insurgency-hit state since Dec 7, 2003, will mostly cover the Vikas Yatra by road. He will use a chopper on a few occasions in remote areas and jungle pockets.
BJP sources claimed that Raman Singh would announce a series of development works and welfare during the yatra. He will would also brief people about development being carried out by his government.
Meanwhile, the Congress - which was voted out in the November 2003 assembly polls - will be going on a 'parivartan yatra' April 12 to expose alleged corruption and mis-governance of the BJP regime. The yatra will conclude May 27 in Raipur.
The party will hold at least one public rally in all the 90 assembly segments during the yatra.
