BJP plans Modi-led yatra

Considering Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s immense popularity and his control over the party cadre, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s central leadership has decided to hold a Modi-led nationwide yatra to mobilise voters.

Though party leaders have said they wouldn’t announce the National Democratic Alliance’s prime ministerial candidate before the general elections, the yatra is expected to project Modi at the national level, leaving little doubt the Gujarat chief minister would lead the party if the BJP comes to power in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

“The BJP has decided to send Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to different states to help mobilise voters and project him at the national level. The public address at the Shri Ram College of Commerce (in February) was just the first step in that direction,” said a senior leader in the know of the development. The leader added party leaders were yet to decide the state from which the yatra would begin.

While the party’s central leadership isn’t unanimous in its decision, most seniors, including party president Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and M Venkaiah Naidu have approved of the plan, hoping to cash in on Modi’s popularity to help the BJP regain power in the Lok Sabha elections.

Both Singh and Jaitley believe Modi is the party’s most popular leader.

The BJP leadership is yet to decide on a Lok Sabha seat for Modi, one that would benefit the party the most. One option is asking Modi to contest from Lucknow, the seat from where former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee contested. Lalji Tandon, Member of Parliament from Lucknow, has already said if Modi wants to contest from Lucknow, he would withdraw his claim on the seat.

A few Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh are also being considered.