Narendra Modi's month-long Yatra concludes today

Updated: Thursday, October 11, 2012, 10:20 [IST]

Rajkot, Oct 11: Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP leader Narendra Modi might have attacked the Congress all along his month-long Swami Vivekananda Yuva Viskas Yatra, which concludes on Thursday, but while in Saurashtra, Modi focussed mainly in pockets where his old rival Keshubhai Patel could pose a serious challenge to him in the December polls.

Modi's route did not include the mehar and kharwa-dominated Porbandar district but only touched the koli and kshatriya-dominated Surendranagar district which, according to observers, indicated that the CM did not leave out the Keshubhai factor from his mind. In Saurashtra, Modi's Yatra went through the pockets where the Leuva Patel community has a significant presence. Keshubhai, it is said, will bank on the anti-Modi sentiments among this community to gain mileage during the election. Keshubhai quits BJP on Aug 5, Saturday and launched his new party called Gujarat Parivartan Party in August this year.

Modi's two-day Saurashtra tour started at Limbdi in Surendranagar district on Sept 23 and the next day, he addressed a rally at Dhoraji, a Congress stronghold in Rajkot district. Modi also covered Gadhda, Dhasa, Lathi, Liliya and other places where poll outcomes can be influenced by the Leuva Patels. During the second leg of Saurashtra tour, Modi again covered areas where Leuva Patels are a significant poll factor.

The third phase of the Saurashtra leg covered two places in Kutch before arriving at the Morbi-Dhrol-Tankara-Jamnagar belt, which has a big presence of the Patel communities, both Leuva and Kadva.

According to a BJP leader, the Chief Minister will attend programmes at those places which were not covered by the Yatra during the election campaign.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that BJP chief Nitin Gadkari and chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Goa would attend the grand culmination of Modi's month-long Yatra at Pavagadh in the Panchmahalas district on Thursday. BJP's Gujarat affairs in-charge Balbir Punj was also expected to be present on the occasion.

OneIndia News