Karnataka - Udupi   

BJP's Vikas Yatra ends at Udupi

Staff Correspondent

Turnout below expectations, says party leader

Udupi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised the valedictory function of the Vikas Yatra at the Mahatma Gandhi District Stadium here on Tuesday expecting a crowd of nearly 25,000 people, but a party leader admitted that the turnout was far below expectations.

There was loud applause from the gathering when Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani, national general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar and Medical Education Minister V.S. Acharya entered the venue at 5.10 p.m. As soon as Mr. Advani completed his speech (he had to rush back to Uttar Pradesh for the election campaign there) and left the dais, some people were seen leaving the stadium, though Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa was yet to begin his speech.

The Udupi district unit of the party had been against holding any function at the stadium except sports events. But the party went against its own stated position and held the valedictory function there.

The athletics track at the stadium was laid recently at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh. But cars of most of the BJP leaders and Ministers attending Tuesday's function were parked on the track.

For a party that prides itself on nationalism and has made an issue of singing "Vande Mataram", Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat was seen coming down from the dais and giving instructions to his subordinates even as "Vande Mataram" was being sung at beginning of the function, while another BJP leader, Gujjady Prabhakar Nayak, was speaking on his cellphone.

Flags, banners and cut-outs of party leaders were displayed on the main streets of the town giving it a festive look.

The Vikas Yatra entered Udupi district at Byndoor, where it was given a rousing reception.

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BJP's Vikas Yatra ends at Udupi

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