Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani embarks on a 33-day 'Bharat Uday Yatra' from Kanyakumari on Tuesday in a bid to seek a fresh mandate for the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies at the Centre.
The first phase of the yatra, in a specially built bus -- covering parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab -- will culminate in Amritsar on March 26, where Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will join Advani to address a public meeting.
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The yatra is Advani's third such venture. In 1990, his Somnath-Ayodhya Rath Yatra paved the way for mobilisation of the Sangh Parivar's temple campaign. In 1997, he embarked on the Swarna Jayanthi Rath Yatra, marking 50 years of Independence.
Click here for the yatra route map
The BJP had emerged stronger at the end of Advani's earlier campaigns, which had their share of controversies.
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BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu will flag off the yatra. Party leaders Pramod Mahajan and Arun Jaitley will be present on the occasion.
The vehicle is an improvised Swaraj Mazda truck with all modern amenities, including Internet facility.
Advani plans to cover over 200km daily during the yatra, which in its first phase of over 4,000km. After a four-day break, when he will file his nomination papers in Gandhinagar, Advani will resume his yatra from March 30 in Porbandar, Gujarat. The trip will conclude in Puri on April 14.
