Jan Ashirwad Yatra: CM Shivraj to tour Sheopur and Morena districts

BHOPAL: Next phase of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ will begin from August 24 in Sheopur district, covering a portion of the Chambal region.
According to BJP’s state unit, all programmes between August 16 and 22 have been cancelled to mourn the demise of former Prime Minister and party veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“The party has postponed all political and in-house programmes including the chief minister’s ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ till August 22. Earlier, it was planned that the yatra would travel from Dhar to Tikamgarh district. But now, it will begin from Sheopur on August 24,” said joint-convener and BJP state vice-president, Vijesh Lunawat.
As per the party plan, the chief minister was to tour Chhindwara, the epicentre of state politics in Mahakaushal region and a Congress bastion led by former Union minister Kamal Nath. The plan was also postponed, he said.
On August 18, the party had planned to organise ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in Manawar and Sardarpur towns of Dhar district whereas, Chouhan had also finalised his tour of Rehli, Devri and Surkhi assembly areas in Sagar district. A few meetings were also organised in Tikamgarh on August 21 and 22 but, all these programmes stand cancelled due to seven-day state mourning, said Lunawat. Chouhan, as per the new plan, will address his first meeting in Vijaypur assembly area in Sheopur district and also visit Sabalgarh in Morena district.
“In Vijaypur, Chouhan will be accompanied by senior ministers where he will dedicate development schemes to the public. The party workers have also planned a mega show of strength as Vijaypur is a Congress bastion, dominated by MLA and chief whip in the state assembly, Ramnivas Rawat,” said a state BJP functionary.
Although, BJP holds sway in neighbouring Sheopur and Sabalgarh assembly constituencies where party’s Durgalal Vijay and Maherban Singh Rawat were elected in 2013 polls, sources said, the party has decided to rope in senior leaders to make it a stronghold and wrest the Vijaypur seat in the coming elections.
BJP leaders said that in view of the state mourning, the party has also cancelled meetings of manifesto, fund raising and state election management committees. Minister of state (MoS) for Ayush department, Jalam Singh Patel said that the OBC convention planned on August 17 in Narsinghpur, was also cancelled. A new programmes will be declared in the coming days, he added.