In her father's shoes, Pankaja begins second leg of Sangharsh Yatra

Determined to live up to her father Gopinath Munde's legacy by sweeping up all the Other Backward Classes (OBC) votes across the state, Pankaja Munde, BJP core committee member and president of the Yuva Morcha, kicked off the second phase of her 'Sangharsh Yatra' on Friday from Chalisgaon taluka of Jalgaon district in north Maharashtra.

Pankaja began the state-wide tour on August 28 in honour of her father, who died in a road accident in Delhi earlier this year. Confident after the success of the first phase, Pankaja told dna that people had accepted her a mass leader. "My party has given me a backing and the people have given me moral support. I feel I can fill the vacuum which was created after Mundeji's death. I cannot let his hard work go to waste and let the votes neutralise," she said.

Accepting Pankaja as the political heir of their mass leader, people of north Maharashtra welcomed the young leader wholeheartedly. When Pankaja rose from the dais to the podium to address the rally, crowds screamed, "Pankaja tum raj karo hum Tumhare saath hai." Women from villages gathered to see her.

"My father wanted better living for all members of the OBC community. Better living standards for farmers, employment for youths and security for women. When he became the union minister for rural development, people of the state hoped for a better future. But destiny had different plans. But I am undeterred. I will strive towards the betterment of the people who were close to my father's heart," said Pankaja.

Comparing Maharashtra with the Mahabharata, Pankaja said, "I want to establish Dharma in the state in the form of good governance. I expect the people of the state to support the Mahayuti (grand alliance) candidates. Next time when I meet you, I want to come as a state government representative. You (voters) were my father's strength and now you have to support me," she said told the people.