BJP plans to launch ‘Seva Jyothi Yatra’ in Andhra Pradesh on October 7

The BJP will launch a State-wide campaign to highlight the Narendra Modi government’s contribution to Andhra Pradesh and prepare it for the upcoming local body elections, says its State president P.V.N. Madhav.

The remarks came at a meeting of the BJP State office-bearers in Vijayawada on Thursday, which was attended by Arvind Singh Bhadoria, the party’s Andhra Pradesh in-charge and former Madhya Pradesh Minister, and State co-in-charge Vanathi Srinivasan.

Mr. Madhav said a ‘Seva Jyothi Yatra’ would be launched from the Legislative Assembly on October 7 and taken through all the 175 Assembly constituencies. The campaign would conclude on October 17.

The party would use the programme to explain to people the assistance extended to Andhra Pradesh by the Centre, he said. Projects, including Polavaram, railway infrastructure, national highways, Amaravati-related works and tourism initiatives, would be showcased as part of the campaign.

Referring to the political debate over allegations of “vote theft,” Mr. Madhav said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had raised the issue and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had responded to it in Parliament.

On the local body elections, Mr. Madhav said the party should be fully prepared following the High Court’s direction to complete the election process within four weeks.

He said the allocation of seats among alliance partners would be decided shortly and that the BJP would seek seats based on its organisational strength, while taking into account the interests of the alliance.

A committee headed by Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav had been constituted for this purpose, he said.

Earlier, Mr. Bhadoria, who arrived at the Vijayawada airport from Delhi, was accorded a warm welcome by the BJP leaders.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav, MPs C.M. Ramesh and Daggubati Purandeswari, MLAs Sujana Chowdary and P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, and MLC Somu Veerraju.