If the yatras — a unique feature of BJP’s election campaigns — are anything to go by, the party is already in election mode. In fact, two BJP yatras are on the way at the moment. While the first one is the ‘Kisan Yatra’ of president Rajnath Singh in Vidarbha which began on Thursday, the other is Yashwant Sinha’s three-day yatra against ‘Kushasan’ (bad governance) under the Madhu Koda Government in Jharkhand.

Sources said that the Jharkhand Yatra has been launched with the intention of fishing in troubled waters, after the Congress gave indications of withdrawing support to the Koda Government.

Rajnath Singh’s Kisan Yatra, in which he is accompanied by national general secretary Gopinath Munde, started from Wardha district of Maharashtra on Thursday. BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that Rajnath Singh had highlighted three things in his speech there: farmers’ problems will not end without giving them a good minimum support price; they should be ensured social security and pension, and farm income insurance guarantee scheme should be implemented for the benefit of farmers.

On the other hand, Yashwant Sinha’s yatra in Jharkhand started from Deoghar and Basukinath in Santhal Pargana. It reached Dumka, about 40 kilometres away, in the evening and a public meeting was held there. Significantly, the area is the stronghold of Babulal Marandi, the former Jharkhand CM who had left the BJP. Small vehicles and a campaign rath constitute the fleet of the yatra. On Friday and Saturday, the yatra will go to Jamtara, where Sinha was a Sub Collector, years back.

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