In an effort to reach out to voters ahead of the state Assembly elections scheduled for this year's end, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will begin the "Gujarat Gaurav Yatra" on five separate routes on Wednesday.
On Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, BJP President J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch the yatra.
Notably, the first "Gaurav Yatra" was organised by the then-chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, following the communal riots and ahead of the state Assembly elections in 2002. In 2017, the second "Gaurav Yatra" was planned in advance of the state elections.
The BJP had won 127 of the 182 seats in 2002. In 2017, the opposition Congress won 77 seats against the saffron party's 99.
On Wednesday, Nadda will begin the yatra at the temple town of Dwarka. The yatra will also proceed from the Mehsana district temple town of Bahucharaji. Nitin Patel, former deputy chief minister, would also be present, the BJP announced on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Shah will begin the yatra on three different routes: one will start at the Sant Savaiyanath temple in Zanzarka Village, Ahmedabad District; the other two will start at the Unai Mata temple in Vansda Taluka, Navsari District.
At various points, BJP leaders from the national and state levels will join the yatra.
Along with Nadda, the BJP announced that former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, Union minister Bhupendra Yadav, and former minister Jawahar Chavda will be in Dwarka on Wednesday.
Several Union ministers will participate in the "Gujarat Gaurav Yatra" at different points, including Prahlad Singh Patel, Piyush Goyal, Mansukh Mandavia, Parshottam Rupala, and Anurag Thakur.
