The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh has announced a series of 'padyatras' (foot marches) across six organisational regions of the state, under the banner 'Save Democracy, End Anarchy', as a direct counter to the INDIA bloc's rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan scheduled for 1 November. The campaign is designed to challenge the Opposition's ongoing mobilisation around the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and, according to party leaders, to expose what they describe as a 'mala fide' agenda behind the protests.

What the Campaign Involves

BJP State General Secretary (Organisation) Dharampal Singh unveiled the campaign plan at the state party headquarters in Lucknow on 26 October, also reviewing ground-level preparations. Singh stated that the marches would respond to what the party characterises as 'baseless protests driven by desperation for power.' He argued the campaign will 'expose the Opposition's propaganda, double standards, and motivated agenda for a change in power.'

Singh also alleged a 'foreign handle' angle behind the protests, claiming certain elements were working to destabilise the nation under the cover of peaceful demonstrations — a charge the Opposition has not responded to as of this report.

Schedule Across Six Regions

The foot marches are spread across five days, covering the state's major political and administrative hubs. The Awadh region march will be held in Lucknow on 3 November. On 4 November, simultaneous marches are planned for the Kashi region in Prayagraj, the Gorakhpur region in Gorakhpur, and the Kanpur-Bundelkhand region in Kanpur. The final round, on 5 November, will cover the Western (Paschim) region in Ghaziabad and the Braj region in Bareilly.

Who Is Expected to Participate

The BJP expects large turnout from party office-bearers, elected representatives, members of various wings and cells, and grassroots workers. Singh indicated that saints and seers, traders, educators, advocates, medical professionals, and representatives from social and religious organisations may also join. The party framed the marches as a broad societal mobilisation rather than a purely political exercise.

The Broader Political Context

This comes amid heightened tension between the ruling BJP and the INDIA bloc over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which the Opposition has used to galvanise street-level protests nationally. The Congress's Ramlila Maidan rally on 1 November is being seen as a major test of the bloc's mobilisation capacity ahead of upcoming electoral cycles. The BJP's counter-campaign in Uttar Pradesh — the country's most electorally consequential state — signals that the ruling party intends to contest the narrative on the ground rather than cede public space to the Opposition.

Notably, the BJP's choice of six geographically spread locations covering Lucknow, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, and Bareilly reflects an attempt to demonstrate statewide reach. Whether the marches draw the broad cross-section of civil society that Singh projected, or remain largely a party-cadre exercise, will be closely watched as an indicator of the BJP's grassroots mobilisation strength in the state.