On September 11, Modi will begin Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra from Becharaji in Mehsana district, setting out on the state-of-the-art air conditioned “chariot” fitted with a hydraulic elevator.

Briefing mediapersons on Modi’s campaign, state BJP general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Rupani said the vehicle used by Advani had already arrived in Gujarat.

Interestingly, Advani himself was forced to start his Jan Chetna Yatra from Bihar after he reportedly got a cold response from Modi over flagging it off from Somnath in Gujarat, the place from where he had taken out his famous Ram Rath Yatra in 1990.

“The state BJP will organise a parallel yatra across the state three-four days before where the CM begins his yatra famous the famous temple town of Becharaji, which is near the site of upcoming Maruti Suzuki’s car manufacturing plant. During the campaign, the CM will cover 150 places in all 182 Assembly constituencies. The yatra is scheduled to end on October 11, which is Jayprakash Narayan’s birth anniversary,” Rupani said.

The last time Modi undertook a similar exercise was in September-October 2002, when he took out his “Gaurav

Yatra” ahead of Assembly elections. He was returned to power with majority.