The BJP held public meetings in 41 of Rajasthan's 200 assembly constituencies before suspending its "Jan Aakrosh Yatra" ahead of schedule amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in several countries, a senior party leader said.
The yatra was scheduled to cover all 200 Assembly segments till December 31.
BJP Rajasthan unit chief Satish Poonia said it had a target of reaching out to 2 crore people through the yatra, launched by party chief JP Nadda on December 1.
During the yatra, specially designed "raths" travelled to different assembly constituencies as part of the mass outreach programme.
"During the yatra, 41 lakh 'Aarop Patra' were distributed and 14 lakh complaints against the state government collected," Poonia claimed.
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The BJP also held 40,000 street-corner meetings across the state.
The yatra was launched with an eye on the assembly elections next year and to corner the state's Congress government on its fourth anniversary.
The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government celebrated four years in power on December 17.
"The yatra was against the misrule of the Congress, 'jungle raj' and corruption in Rajasthan. It was getting immense public support but in view of the precautions and instructions related to Covid, the yatra has been postponed in public interest," Poonia said.
In Delhi, BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh said the party had suspended the yatra in Rajasthan in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases.
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"For the BJP, people come first before politics. For us the safety of people, their health is priority," Singh, also the party's Rajasthan in-charge, said.
On Thursday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya raised concerns over the global rise in COVID-19 cases. He asked states to remain alert and create awareness about wearing masks and using hand sanitisers, especially in view of upcoming festivals and new year celebrations.
-With PTI Input
