NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has finalised the twin `yatra' plan. The `yatra' will see the Leader of the Opposition, L.K. Advani hurtling through 10 States, covering 5,800 km, over 26 days. Party president Rajnath Singh will cover 12 States over 24 days, logging 5,000 km. While both `yatras' will start on April 6, Mr. Advani's `rath' will be flagged off from Dwarka in Gujarat and Mr. Singh's chariot from Puri in Orissa.

Details of the `yatras' — named the Rashtriya Ekatmata Yatra (National Integration Yatra) — were finalised at a meeting of the State unit president, organising secretaries and central office-bearers here on Friday. Starting on April 6 — founder's day of the BJP as well as Ram Navami — the journey would converge and end here on May 10, anniversary of the 1857 First War of Independence, party leader Venkaiah Naidu said.

While Mr. Advani would traverse Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, Mr. Rajnath Singh's journey would take him from Orissa to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.

Political message

Mr. Naidu reiterated that the `yatras' would not touch the five States going to the polls.

However, the message would be political as the BJP was a political party, he said.

The agenda was to create awareness among the people about the "current situation," that is focus on the Government's policies that were "soft towards terrorism' and designed to appease Muslims.

The BJP `yatra' plan was not at all designed to consolidate a Hindu vote bank, he said. "It is for national integration, it is the UPA that is playing divisive politics."

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