Maha BJP unveils CM's 'rath' for poll yatra

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday unveiled the 'rath', a vehicle modified into a chariot, on which Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will tour the state from August 1 as part of his 'Mahajanadesh Yatra' ahead of the Assembly polls, due later this year.

The BJP has provided two such vehicles, which were earlier used by party national president Amit Shah in Uttar Pradesh and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

"We have used the 'raths' earlier successfully and we want to repeat the same during the Maharashtra Assembly elections," Patil said.

These vehicles will reach Sant Tukadoji Maharaj Math in Amravati's Mozari by Wednesday evening, said a party official.

Fadnavis will cover 14 districts and 57 assembly segments during the first phase of the rally between August 1 and 9, the official said, adding that the CM will travel 1,639 kms during this period.

The second phase, beginning on August 17, will cover 93 assembly constituencies in 18 districts and a distance of 2,745 kms.

"During the entire rally, Fadnavis would cover 150 assembly segments from 32 districts and travel 4,384 kms," he said.

The rally will conclude at Nashik on August 31.