Advani's yatra fails to click in Rajasthan

Jaipur, May 3: BJP senior leader L K Advani's Bharat Suraksha Yatra seems to be getting a lukewarm response in its stronghold Rajasthan.

Mr Advani, who already passed through Bhilwara, Ajmer, Kishangarh and Dudu before reaching Jaipur yesterday, has not been able to generate enough enthusiasm among the common man and it is showing in the small gatherings he has been addressing.

Although the state BJP has left no stones unturned to make the yatra a success, it has been unable to gather the requisite crowd.

Except for a handful of people in Jaipur's Chaura Rasta, which is considered to be a BJP bastion, Mr Advani's meeting yesterday was only a congregation of party workers and activists.

The Bharat Suraksha Yatra, announced just after the Varanasi blasts, is aimed at creating awareness about threats to the country's security but gauging the crowd response, it seems the people are not enthused about the yatra.

Experts say as the party cadres especially RSS and VHP workers are disillusioned with Mr Advani, it is getting reflected in his miniscule gatherings. BJP district level leaders are hard pressed to gather crowds in this blazing heat.

Although Mr Advani's unscheduled visit to Dargah Sharif in Ajmer was an attempt to appease the Muslims and show his secular credentials, it failed to click with the masses.

The state Congress is questioning the relevance of the yatra as they say the Kargil war, Kandahar plane hijack, terrorist attacks on Akshardham and Parliament, all happened during the BJP-led NDA regime.

UNI