Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that the Vikshit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, widely seen as an election campaign tool at government expense, would be extended by another month till February because of a huge public demand for the “Modi Guarantee Vehicles”.

Under the Yatra, government vans styled “Modi Ki Guarantee Wala Gaadi”, have been crisscrossing the country to “saturate” welfare schemes by enrolling those still left out. Many see the Yatra as a ploy to strengthen the BJP’s election slogan of “Modi Ki Guarantee”.

Started on November 15 last year, the Yatra was scheduled to end on Republic Day this year. Modi announced its extension during an interaction with beneficiaries of government schemes through videoconferencing.

“The Yatra has completed two months. It has turned into a ‘Vishwas (trust) Yatra’. People are also calling it the ‘Guarantee Yatra’,” Modi said.

“People are impatiently waiting for the Modi Guarantee Vehicles in villages that they haven’t reached yet…. So, given the enthusiasm and huge demand, I have told officers to extend it (the Yatra), and it is likely to continue into February too.”

Modi claimed the Yatra had turned into a “mass movement” and that 15 crore people had so far “participated” in it, with nearly 70 per cent of the country’s panchayats covered.

“The VBSY is the best example of last-mile delivery,” the Prime Minister said, emphasising that his government was committed to ensuring that no eligible people were left out of its welfare schemes.

“In the last 10 years, the way our government has created a transparent system, made genuine efforts and promoted public participation, it has made even the impossible possible,” he said.

Modi added that the government had built 4 crore houses so far, with 70 per cent of them registered in the names of women.

To squeeze the maximum political mileage out of the Yatra, ministers and BJP leaders are being deputed to welcome the Modi Guarantee Vehicles to specific areas, turning their arrival into a big public event.

Modi has been using government machinery to hold videoconferences almost every week to interact with people gathered around the Modi Guarantee Vehicles.

He has been urging people to help the government spread awareness of the drive and enrol all those still left out of its welfare schemes.

Together with the upcoming consecration of the Ram temple, Modi and his party are hyping up the Vikshit Yatra in the run-up to the general election.