Congress leader Digvijaya Singh’s Narmada Parikrama is being closely watched by the BJP after he disclosed that his yatra plan will include Gujarat and Maharashtra, besides Madhya Pradesh. With poll-bound Gujarat also in his plan, the saffron party is not taking the Parikrama lightly. Sources in BJP said that Digvijaya’s tour in Gujarat is being taken seriously in view of the recent anti-saffron campaign launched by the Congress and ramifications of demonetization and GST after a massive anti-BJP rally in Surat and parts of Gujarat. BJP has termed the initiatives as historic, but the Congress sees them as an opportunity to garner votes in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh where assembly elections are to likely to take place within a year.
“I have decided to visit these three states during my Narmada Parikrama. The major portion of the yatra would be in Madhya Pradesh, around 70%, while in Gujarat I plan to cover 22% areas and 7 to 8% area in Maharashtra”, Digvijaya Singh told TOI over phone while on way to Narsinghpur from Jabalpur. Digvijaya Singh will launch his Parikrama from Narsinghpur on Dussehra, which falls on September 30.
The yatra would cover 110 assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh and 20 constituencies in Gujarat. Gujarat will go to polls soon and both Congress and BJP have initiated their campaign. In Gujarat, the state Congress has made elaborate arrangements to support the yatra, though Digvijaya Singh has called it a personal yatra. “I had envisioned the yatra about 20 years ago. I would traverse the entire route alongwith my wife Amrita in car or by foot. The six-month-long Parikrama is entirely a religious and spiritual exercise ,” said the former chief minister of MP.
The Congress leader also attacked BJP for politicising his event. He said he would not like to give much publicity to his yatra and remain aloof from press and social media during the entire tour. He said the BJP and members of `Modi brigade’ are trying to tarnish his image in the social media.
During the yatra, Singh will travel 20 km daily. The state government has provided him security which is entitled to former chief minister of the state. Apart from BJP, Congerss and other political parties are also keeping an eye on Digvijaya’s yatra. Sources said that BJP has fielded a group of young team to keep a tab on Singh’s programme during the entire yatra, especially in Gujarat. A report of his activities will be sent to the BJP national leadership on a daily basis, sources said.
The Congress leader took a dig at the Union government for the economic ‘downturn’ and said that even BJP leaders have admitted that after demonetisation and GST, financial condition of the country has been adversely impacted. He also decried the poor condition of farmers in the country. Singh said that more than 50 fake web portals and social media sites are misguiding the people regarding the current situation of the country. These portals and social media are publishing fake stories which could spoil the communal harmony, he alleged.
