NEW DELHI: Simultaneous "yatras" to be led by the Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh and Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani are to begin in different directions across the country from April 6 for nearly five weeks till May 9.

Speaking to The Hindu from Lucknow, Mr. Singh said on Sunday the details of the "yatras" announced by Mr. Advani a few days ago would be finalised after March 17 when he returns here.

Commenting on the political situation in Uttar Pradesh over the last few days since the Varanasi blasts that resulted in both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party leaderships sounding positive about supporting each other in dealing with the situation, Mr. Singh said, "it is good for us [the BJP] if the two parties [Congress and SP] cooperate." He added that the ground situation for the BJP had improved since the last Assembly elections in the State when the BJP's electoral fortunes had dipped sharply.

Uncertainty cleared

Mr. Singh's assertion that the "yatras" would set off on April 6 has cleared the uncertainty that had surrounded Mr. Advani's announcement immediately after the Varanasi blasts. Several party leaders had been saying that it was not the party but Mr. Advani who had taken the decision on the "yatras". Of course, he had consulted Mr. Singh and some other senior leaders before making the public announcement.

RSS reaction

Soon after that there were reports that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its affiliates like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were not too happy, as they saw this plan as an effort by Mr. Advani to rehabilitate himself as a great Hindutva leader. That image had been somewhat affected by his pro-Jinnah comments in June last year during his visit to Pakistan, especially when he visited the "mazar" of Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi.

Mr. Advani has left no one in doubt that the "yatras" have been planned to get political mileage for the BJP by trying to consolidate a Hindu vote. He said the party would hit out at the "Muslim vote bank politics" of the UPA parties and the Left. He said, "We cannot keep politics out" even as he made it clear that the "yatras" would touch the States where elections are scheduled in April and May.

However, the date for the start of the "yatras"' suggested by Mr. Singh on Sunday indicated that Assam, where the party has the maximum stake in the coming polls, would be left out. The Assam polling dates are April 3 and 10. The mobilisation effort for the "yatras" to be made by the BJP cadre will not disturb the Assam campaign, which will come to an end on April 8.

VHP slams yatra

PTI reports:

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Sunday attacked Mr. Advani, saying his stature among Hindus had come down and if he intended to restore his Hindutva credentials by taking out yet another yatra, it would fail.

"If he wants to spread awareness against terrorism, it is welcome. But if he wants to restore his Hindutva image, it shall fail as he betrayed people earlier," senior VHP leader Acharya Giriraj Kishore said here.

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