Twin yatras: JD-U to skip BJP’s Ayodhya rally

The Janata Dal (U),which is contesting the UP election in alliance with the BJP,has decided to skip the rally at Ayodhya which the BJP has planned on the conclusion of its two Jan Swabhiman Yatras on November 17. While one yatra is led by former chief minister Rajnath Singh,the other is led by party vice-president Kalraj Mishra.

JD(U) president and NDA convenor Sharad Yadav had flagged off Rajnath Singh’s yatra from Mathura on October 13. JD(U) secretary general K C Tyagi said they would not attend the concluding ceremony of the yatras as it was being organised in Ayodhya.

“Ram temple and Ayodhya were nowhere in the agenda of the NDA,” he said,adding,“Acquisition of farmers’ land is a bigger issues these days. The JD(U) will attend the sammelan if it is organised at Bhatta-Parsaul or some other place where poor are in large numbers.”

Originally,the two yatras were to conclude in Lucknow. The BJP planned the Ayodhya rally,which it has named Vijay Sankalp Samagam Sammelan,to reassure its cadres and supporters who were disappointed when the Jan Chetna Yatra of L K Advani skipped Ayodhya.