Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh’s Vikas Yatra was flagged off on Monday by BJP patriarch L K Advani here in Bastar, formally marking the beginning of pre-election campaigning in the state.
Singh is expected to address 93 meetings in his month-long yatra, which would cover all 90 constituencies. “We are taking the message of development that the state has seen in the past 10 years to the people,” Singh said.
The Chief Minister would also distribute paddy bonus to the farmers. Paddy bonus is an annual ritual, but in an election year it has its own appeal. Singh is also likely to distribute cheque worth `1,900 crore.
On the other hand, the state ministers would distribute laptops to students and shoes to tribals.
Shoe distribution for tribals, formally called ‘Charanpaduka’, became a major attraction when it was launched a few years ago. Some of the well-planned schemes such as ‘Amrit Namak’, free rice for extremely poor and cows for farmers in Bastar have been very popular. The direct result has been that the BJP won 11 of the 12 Assembly seats in 2008. It would be difficult to maintain that record this time, but Singh knows the key to his return lies in Bastar. Thus the special emphasis on the region. Singh would be travelling 2,800 km by road and another 3,300 km by chopper during his yatra, which culminates on June 20 when monsoons more or less arrive in the state. Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh are expected to join the yatra at various stages. Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh also landed in the state on Monday to ignite some activity in the somnolent party camps. He is slated to unveil a statue of former Congress CM Shyama Charan Shukla in Rajim constituency and address rallies in Dhamtari and Raipur.