New Delhi: In a combination of grassroots politics and an attempt to harness the powerful symbol of Mahatma Gandhi to its 2019 polls efforts, BJP activists would march on foot for 150 kilometers in a door-to-door outreach campaign in Uttar Pradesh as 2018 is the 150th birth anniversary year of the Mahatma. 

These ‘padyatras’ would be organised between December 1 and 15 and the party workers would take the achievements of the governments at the Centre as well as the state to the people.

At the centre of this campaign are the beneficiaries of the various flagship schemes of the Centre as well as the Yogi Adityanath government in the state.

UP BJP spokesperson Chandra Mohan told MyNation that the ‘padyatras’ would comprise of six groups of 25 to 30 activists in each legislative assembly segment.

“All the party functionaries and representatives of the people, MLAs and MPs, will take part in the padyatras. The preparations for the yatras would be thrashed out in ‘kshetriya’ or regional meet of the party, which would be held all over the state,” Mohan said.

“Meeting for Awadh region will be held on November 21, Kanpur and Kashi on November 22, Gorakhpur and western regions on November 23 and 24 November for Braj region. Meetings at the assembly level will be held between November 26 and 28,” the spokesperson added.

Earlier, in a mass contact campaign, the party had organised bike rallies across the state. Over 10 lakh party workers took part on over six lakh motorbikes. The rallies were dubbed as ‘Kamal Sandesh’ rallies or rallies for spreading the message of the lotus, the poll symbol of the ruling party.